Private Drinking Game

[Naamino Zuukamano]

Korriban
Desert Outskirts
Post Rager
Tags: Leshanna & Haro Aven ​

Though the party proper was far from over, and seemed prepared to go long into the night or early hours of the morning, Naami felt his social battery dwindling. The handful of drinks he'd imbibed in had helped, and the enthusiasm of his friends was definitely infectious. The surly zabrak found himself grinning fiercely as Haro smooth talked his way into a round of dice that he quickly won, got swept up into a chugging contest with Gavin that he decidedly lost (even though he won some cool points back by crushing the can on his forehead), and even caught himself nodding along to some of the music which he might not have made note of save for the fact that he caught Lesh's eye mid song. Naami was grateful in that moment he'd yet to put his undershirt back on and the cold air stopped him from feeling somewhat flushed with self consciousness.

Despite how much fun it all was, Naami was silently grateful that Haro pulled him and Leshanna aside to "share something" so that he could take some breathing room from the crowd. He might've said farewell to Gav but the man was currently being lavished with attention from a gaggle of higher level students who seemed to find his strength, stature and war stories impressive indeed. The zabrak merely smirked and turned, he'd see his friend again soon enough.

"Yeah I'll uh— I'll catch up ok?" Naami said to the pair.
"I've gotta… uh," he shook the little canister of bacta spray Kivah had tossed to him.

The boy grinned sheepishly, the drinks he'd downed and the embarrassment he felt at war with each other. So Naami found an empty part of the castle on a lower level to duck into for a moment of privacy. Spraying his injured stomach and thoroughly dousing himself below the belt until the spray ran out. Gingerly, he pulled his undershirt on before throwing his overcloak back on. He opted to leave his bruised hands and scraped forearms unwrapped, thinking to himself they looked kinda cool when his sleeves pulled up to reveal glimpses of them as he moved. He soon trotted down the rest of the stairs to find his friends waiting by Haro's new speeder. The teen appraised it coolly as he approached, a hint of interest in his voice as he asked.

"This yours?"

Naami glanced at Lesh, wondering if she was warm enough in the chilly night air. Seeing that she was just beginning to show the first signs of shivering, Naami began to shrug back out of his overcloak to drape it over her shoulders carefully as he addressed Haro.

"What'd ya want to show us?"

 

[Haro Aven]

​

LOCATION: KORRIBAN > DESERT OUTSKIRTS​

OBJECTIVE: PLAY A DRINKING GAME WITH Leshanna AND Naamino Zuukamano ​

[[ CREDITS: WRITTEN COLLABORATIVELY WITH Leshanna ]]​

Contrary to Naamino, Haro seemed to thrive off of the party atmosphere, as if the hype, the crowd, the music, all energized him. More, it all quickly and effectively took his mind off the chaos of the brawl and the stress of the subsequent fallout. The more he drank, the more playful and impulsive he became, any lingering anxiety dissolving in the warm fuzzy feeling brought on by the booze. Intermittently throughout his dicing, drinking and dancing, he had several friendly interactions, perhaps more than one might expect from the average new kid, with familiar faces and acquaintances from his various classes, making introductions when it seemed appropriate or desired. Despite how he bopped around and got swept up in various conversations and activities though, Haro remained attentive to his group, particularly Lesh and Naami. He was happy to see they both seemed to be enjoying themselves, Haro's victory at dice even eliciting a rare dimpled grin from the Zabrak. He pulled them into his own shenanigans when he could and championed whatever they initiated, including the chugging contest which he cheered on enthusiastically before parading around on Gav's shoulders after to boast of his victory against the brawl champion.

Eventually, he felt called to take Lesh and Naami out to his speeder to share in his stolen goods and just each other's company for a while, but Naami hesitated.

"Yeah I'll uh— I'll catch up ok?" Naami said to the pair.​

​

It took Haro a moment before realization dawned. The partying had pushed the brawl so far out of his mind, he'd forgotten about the brutal hits Naami had taken and that the teen was probably still hurting.​

​

"I've gotta… uh," he shook the little canister of bacta spray Kivah had tossed to him.​

​

"Oh," his eyes darted down to the boy's pants then back up to his sheepish grin, "right..." Haro said, doing a poor job of not looking like he was holding back a snicker as he recalled Kivah's embarrassing instructions.​

​

"Good luck with that, buddy. We'll see ya out there!" He called back as he turned to leave Naami to his business.​

As he and Lesh made their way out to his speeder, Haro was grinning, beaming with electric energy from the night's adrenaline and festivities.

"Oh man, I'm so glad we did this, Lesh! Thanks again for coming out with me tonight. It definitely wouldn't have been the same without you."​

​

Lesh was practically vibrating with the energy of the night's events that flowed through her. Games and laughter and camaraderie that helped draw her closer to her peers, her friends. Her boys. She beamed back at Haro, doing a bouncing skip as they neared his speeder. ​

​

"Oh I'm so happy I came with you! Thanks for inviting me, Haro! Definitely a highlight of my week." She said, excitement clear in her voice, even as a slight blush crept into her cheeks.​

​

Her adorable infectious excitement pulled a bright laugh from Haro.​

​

"Ha ha! Glad to hear it!" They stopped beside his speeder but he paid it no mind yet, entirely focused on the girl in front of him. He watched her for a moment, his grin falling away into a more thoughtful expression but he still maintained a hint of a smirk.​

​

For a few moments, Lesh and Haro simply stared at one another. They were alone, as Naamino hadn't join them quite yet, but for some reason Lesh felt the weight of anticipation and it only grew stronger, enough that she almost found it hard to keep her gaze on Haro. Her mind kept trailing back to them holding hands...how warm his had felt in hers, how comfortable she'd felt with it. She realized that she actually felt warm and comfortable around him period. ​

​

"Hey uh," he cast a quick suspicious look around, half expecting Kivah to somehow pop out of nowhere and interrupt him again.​

​

"Been trying to tell you all night but…" he paused but this time the liquid courage in his veins gave him a moment of confidence he hadn't found before.​

​

"You look really good." His voice was softer, pitched lower, his faintly glowing eyes watching hers intently, hoping his compliment landed well.​

​

Lesh listened as Haro finally found the moment to tell her what he'd been trying to all evening, and her cheeks flushed a deeper scarlet when she heard him say that she looked good. She tucked her head and averted her eyes in a rare show of shyness, a happy but coy smile playing at her lips. Her heart felt like it was fluttering in her chest, and she didn't know what to do. ​

​

"I uh...wow...really, Haro? ...You think so?" she finally said, glancing back up at him, sapphire meeting emerald hued eyes, suddenly feeling vulnerable in a way she never had before.​

​

Her reaction sent a thrill rippling through Haro that brought his bright grin back in full force, and he suddenly felt like he couldn't stop smiling even if he tried. The elated bubbly feeling in his chest threatened to undermine his newly found courage, so he bit his lip and glanced away a moment, remembering to breathe before he found her eyes again.​

​

"Yeah, really," he insisted playfully, a bit more coy than before, his eyes darting sheepishly down her figure and back up again.​

​

He was desperately searching for something cool to say next when he caught movement in his periphery and spotted Naami approaching. He tipped his chin up to the Zabrak in acknowledgement, his giddy smile persisting from his electrifying exchange with Leshanna.

"This yours?" Naami asked, appraising the speeder coolly.​

​

"Oh, yeah!" Haro immediately lit up and hopped to step up next to the bike, placing a hand on the handlebar, as if to show it off. "Pulled it out of the scrapyard and basically rebuilt it from the frame up! Still needs a new paint job, and I'm planning on tricking it out with some totally wizard mods too."​

​

Watching Naami immediately shrug out of his cloak and drape it over Lesh's shoulders, Haro admittedly felt a bit foolish for not noticing how cold Lesh was himself, but he was glad Naami had and was taking good care of her like he always did.

​

"What'd ya want to show us?" ​

Haro's smile suddenly became entirely mischievous and he popped open the cargo compartment, reaching in to grab Lesh's blanket and the bottle of whiskey hidden beneath it. He turned to face them, holding both items behind his back.

"Ok but, one condition... you both have to agree to a game."​

​

 

[Leshanna]

Tags: Naamino Zuukamano // Haro Aven
​

Despite the chill of the Korribani night air, Leshanna felt absolutely electric standing there beside the speeder with Haro. Her heart fluttered and raced in her chest, elevated from the pleasantly tense aura that was surrounding both her and the rather cute boy she’d been finding a deeper interest in lately. His bright smile was infectious…his whole personality was alluring to her. She felt like she could get lost in it.

Her blush only deepened further when Haro confirmed that yes, he did indeed really think she looked good, and glanced over her with a sheepish expression that she noticed. The moment lingered between them, a delicate balance between shy awkwardness and happy elation to be in the other’s company.

"Well...thank you, Haro. I uh...happy to hear that!"

Haro looked as if he was going to say something further, but both him and Lesh caught sight of movement and she looked to see the familiar form of Naamino ambling his way over towards them. Leshanna’s smile brightened further, as excitement once more filled her blue eyes.

She was so excited and happy - she was getting to hang out with both of them, just the three of them away from Academy grounds and the ever watchful eyes of the Professors and staff.

Naami eyed the bike with cool appreciation before glancing at her. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered from a chilly breeze that blew against them and ruffled up her shirt a bit. Noticing that she was getting a bit chilled, her Zabrak friend removed his overcloak and gently laid it over her shoulders, a gesture that warmed her heart in an instant and brought yet another blush to her already aching cheeks.

“Oh gosh, Naami you didn’t have to give me your cloak! But…thank you…” she said to him in a warm voice of appreciation as she snuggled into it, sighing with how warm it was. It also carried his scent, which she momentarily found herself distracted by as the Zabrak asked Haro about the bike.

Once again, Haro’s excitement was infectious as he showed it off and told them both how he had pulled it from a scrapyard and rebuilt it himself. Then Naami asked the million credit question: what had prompted Haro to bring them over to his bike. The boy instantly became mischievous as he turned around and opened up the cargo compartment, grabbing a couple of items that he hid behind his back as he turned back to face her and Naami, saying that first they needed to agree to play a game.

Leshanna narrowed her eyes at Haro, even as a playful and curious smirk played at her lips. “A game? Hmmm. I’m down!” She glanced over at her Zabrak friend, and gently elbowed him in the arm in a playful manner. “What about you, bestie?”

 

[Naamino Zuukamano]

Calm satisfaction warmed him as Leshanna took the garment happily. His hands lingered just a moment longer than necessary where they placed it upon her shoulders. He also noted that the pair had been wide-eyed and smiling at each other when he walked up, something he'd probably wonder about more later. Then the conversation flowed on, but the zabrak stole a couple of glances at Lesh as the girl snuggled into the cloak.

He was feeling the warm buzz of drink fluffing the edges of his senses, though he reckoned based on how the other two were acting that maybe they were even more affected. Hard to tell given he had no prior experience, really, and the adults he spent time around in his childhood basically never imbibed save for the occasional holiday.

"Yeah, pretty astral," Naami admitted about the speeder as the boy described the work he'd done and planned to do.

Haro's exuberant mischief made Naami raise an eyebrow. The ploy of hiding things behind his back caused the hint of suspicion to creep up along his spine. His clear excitement and the way his wickedly cool eyes glimmered in the darkness did much to soothe Naami's natural caution though. He'd seen those gemstone eyes a bit like this once before, but it was still disarming and probably always would be for the zabrak.

A bemused grunt might've been all Haro received if it weren't for Lesh's enthusiasm. With arms crossed over his chest while he considered the other boy, Naami was surprised to feel her nudge him. They'd not shared that kind of playful contact yet, and he found he liked it. He blinked for a moment, almost as nonplussed as he'd been in the gym when she'd winked at him, until he found the words.

"Alright, yeah— what game then? I'm not letting you make a fool of me at dice, Aven," he grumbled good-naturedly.

 

[Haro Aven]

Haro's bright eyes flashed with excitement when Naami referred to his bike as pretty astral, and then again when they both accepted his condition. He barked a laugh at Naami's next grumbly comment.

"Hah! Ooo tempting, but no. Not dice," he said, unable to hold back a grin even though his cheeks were starting to ache. Then he revealed the bottle with no small amount of fanfare, more animated and energetic even than usual.

"A drinking game," he said conspiratorially, bucking his eyebrows as he shook the mostly-full bottle at them. He stepped up closer to them both, pressing the bottle into Naami's arms and handing the blanket to Lesh.

"Here, hold that," he told them before turning to grab Bodie and one of the small handheld speakers he'd nabbed from the mechanics shop, then slammed the cargo compartment closed and practically bounded up to them again. He tossed Bodie into the air and the little droid immediately unfurled from its compact form, little wings and feet popping out as repulsers prevented it from dropping. Bodie's photoreceptors adjusted and it looked around as if just woken from a nap. Haro did a quick scan of the area, his natural night vision making it easy for him to make out his surroundings. He pointed over their shoulders back toward the ruins where there was a flat slab of sandstone that looked perfect to set up their little sanctuary under the stars.

"Let's set up over there, yeah?" As the two turned to look toward the spot he'd indicated, Haro stepped up between them and threw his arms around them both, moving them toward their destination. Once they got there, he helped Lesh lay out the blanket for them and instructed Bodie to sync up with the speaker and start his "good vibes" playlist on low volume. Once the mood was set, Haro sat cross-legged on the blanket and motioned for Naami to hand the bottle back to him.

"Ok. So. The game is called Never Have I Ever," he began, looking between them with that mischievous glint in his eyes. "We take turns saying something we've never done before. And if someone else in the group has done it, they have to drink. Make sense?"​

 

[Leshanna]

Tags: Naamino Zuukamano // Haro Aven
​

Naami seemed…suspicious…of Haro’s statement about the game, and he just might have brushed off the game had Lesh not agreed to it and then elbowed the stoic Zabrak boy. Of course, she did this on purpose; she had a feeling that Naami might have shrugged off the game but with her agreeing to play, surely he wouldn’t refuse now.

When Naami agreed, she felt a rush of excitement flood through her, making her dance in place for a moment before she quickly composed herself.

Now it was time to see what sort of game Haro had in mind for them all, and she watched eagerly as revealed a bottle of some sort of alcohol, and told them both that it would be a drinking game.

“Ohhh that sounds like it would be fun! And prohibited. Let's do it!” Lesh said as Haro pushed the mostly full bottle of whiskey into Naami’s arms before handing her the blanket she’d brought for them all to chill out on. Lesh glanced at Naamino as Haro turned back to his speeder bike to grab a few more things, and wiggled her eyebrow at her best friend.

Oh tonight is going to be interesting… she mused to herself. She’d seen the adults at the Dance party indulge in their drinks, and knew how free they could be when the alcohol flowed. It made her really wonder what would happen with the three of them once they started imbibing.

"Let's set up over there, yeah?" Haro said, pointing out a specific spot for the three of them to relax and play their game at.

“Sure! Look’s good enough to me!” Leshanna said cheerfully as Haro stepped between her and Naami and put his arms around them both. She couldn’t help the small blush that colored her cheeks as they all made their way over to the selected location.

The blanket, a soft and plush royal purple one that was large enough to fit all of them comfortably, was laid out upon the sandy ground and Lesh sat down cross-legged between the two boys as Haro set up Bodie to play music for them all. When everyone was settled, he sat down and explained the rules of the game.

“Oh yeah! That makes sense to me! I’ll go first!” Lesh piped up, excitement clear in her voice and upon her face as she pulled Naami’s cloak around her further, like a secondary blanket. “Hmm…Never Have I Ever…drank alcohol before!” She confessed with a small smirk to them both.

 

[Naamino Zuukamano]

With one wryly raised black eyebrow, Naami palmed the bottle pressed against his chest. He nearly grumbled a dry joke about how he didn't take orders from Haro but that was forgotten when Lesh seemed to wiggle with excitement. He was momentarily stunned, expression baffled, and any chit he might've given the other boy was entirely forgotten. Completely falling for the ploy to turn their heads, Naami did grumble slightly when Haro threw his arms around them, but he did nothing to resist the contact and he followed along.

Naami watched impassively as his friends set up the blanket, while his thoughts seemed to whir through his head. The evening had already been a lot of fun, and he was feeling loads better now that he was away from the crowd. Naami absently handed the bottle back, still standing at the edge of the blanket. He almost stayed standing, feeling a bit outside of whatever this was. All it took for Naami to finally relent was one glance from Leshanna though, who looked so happy and frankly hilariously small all bundled in his cloak. Bending down, gritting his teeth against the ache at his core, he unlaced his boots to slip them off before he stepped onto the blanket gingerly and sat cross legged with his spine upright.

"Ok. So. The game is called Never Have I Ever," he began, looking between them with that mischievous glint in his eyes. "We take turns saying something we've never done before. And if someone else in the group has done it, they have to drink. Make sense?"

“Oh yeah! That makes sense to me! I’ll go first!” Lesh piped up, excitement clear in her voice and upon her face as she pulled Naami’s cloak around her further, like a secondary blanket. “Hmm…Never Have I Ever…drank alcohol before!” She confessed with a small smirk to them both.

A brisk "huh" and a slight smile was forthcoming as Lesh had them dead to rights with her quick start to the game. So the point was to try getting everyone else drunk before you? Alright, he thought he understood. Cool blue eyes alighted on Haro and Naami smirked slightly as the teen made a slight face when he drank. As the bottle was handed over, the zabrak purposefully steeled himself when he took a swig. The stuff tasted to him like a combination of syrup and something that could strip paint of a ship but he acted completed unfazed. He paused for a moment, rolling the bottle between his palms, the mottling of his bruised knuckles looking worse in starlight than it had under the dancing lights of the rooftop.

"Never have I ever gone more than a week without completing a structured workout since I was ten."

He guessed he'd get them both with that one even if it was boring, but waited to see who'd gesture for the whiskey next.

 

[Haro Aven]

[ Dialogue collaboration with Naamino Zuukamano ]

"Oh yeah! That makes sense to me! I'll go first!" Leshanna exclaimed, her bright enthusiasm and the way she cozied into Naami's cloak made Haro want to hug tackle her but he just beamed at her instead.

"Hmm…Never Have I Ever…drank alcohol before!" She confessed with that adorable little smirk which Haro returned with a wry grin.

"Touché," he conceded, twisting the cap off and tipping his head to her before he confidently took a swig. The stuff almost tasted ok for half a second but it quickly began to burn his tongue and all up through his sinuses as he swallowed. He barely kept himself from sputtering but he did make a wincing face and blew out his suddenly hot breath as he handed the bottle off to Naami. He regretted his own reaction when Naami took a drink like it was water—all frustratingly stoic and looking extra badass with his bruised knuckles as he pondered the bottle after. Haro wondered if Naami had prior experience with alcohol before this night but before he could ask, Naami made his play.

“Never have I ever gone more than a week without completing a structured workout since I was ten,” Naami said with a dry competitiveness. ​

Haro gave an exaggeratedly doubtful expression, clearly judging his statement as weird and unbelievable.​

"Dude, what? No way." Haro asserted, shaking his head.​

Glaring back defiantly, Naami grumbled, "Yes way, that's why I chose cuz I knew it'd get you."​

"W'll yeah, obviously…" Haro retorted flatly, "but c'mon, every week since you were ten? How do you even remember that?" He asked, riding the line between teasing and accusatory.​

It was Naami's turn to give Haro a look like he was weird.​

"Got memory problems you wanna tell us about, Aven? I remember since it's a big part of my life and my culture." Naami's eyes narrowed, the boy bristling as if Haro might be questioning his honor in this drinking competition.​

Haro looked confused and slightly pouty at Naami's comeback then shook his head and rolled his eyes, but he decided to drop it. He waited for Lesh to take the bottle first, assuming she wasn't also some weirdo who religiously worked out every week since she was ten, and watched for her no doubt adorable reaction to tasting booze for the first time. By the time he got the bottle back, the taste of the whiskey very much still lingered on his tongue and he hardly felt ready to take another go at it. This time though, he resolved not to react the way he had before and endeavored to look even cooler than Naami had. He threw back another gulp, fighting down the urge to show any signs of discomfort. He succeeded for the most part but his eyes grew glassy as the booze burned through his nose again and he barely suppressed a shiver up his spine. Despite himself, he had to clear his throat a bit to keep from coughing but he tried to make it seem nonchalant.

"Alright... Never have I ever crashed a ship or speeder I was driving." Haro held the bottle out to Naami almost before he finished his sentence, clearly smug and satisfied with himself.​

 

[Leshanna]

Tags: Naamino Zuukamano // Haro Aven
​

Leshanna’s eyes glimmered deviously as she watched both boys react to her comment about never having drank before, and she smirked almost smugly at them as Haro was the first to take a swig from the bottle, and Lesh had to suppress a snort of laughter upon seeing his face scrunch up, though inside she suddenly felt a twist of anxiousness in her gut.

She’d heard alcohol tasted horrible - and so she of course had let her boys be her test subjects. Now she had an idea of what awaited her and she suddenly wasn’t so sure she wanted to partake.

Oh well, she couldn’t afford to chicken out now.

Blue eyes flickered over to watch Naami, who she’d seen drink earlier in the night after the fight. He took a swig and even seemed to look over the bottle without so much as a flinch, before speaking up.

"Never have I ever gone more than a week without completing a structured workout since I was ten."

“Ugh…really? Since you were ten?!” Lesh groaned as she processed the Zabrak’s words. “Are you for real right now? Man here I thought I was going to go a while before having to take a drink. Guess not…” she grumbled, before casting her gaze to Haro who seemed to have the same feelings about that comment as she did. She raised an eyebrow as the two of them went back and forth on the topic for a moment, with Haro seemingly not buying into it. But Lesh knew in her heart that the Zabrak was being truthful; he was simply too honorable and proud to lie about such a thing.

Naami seemed to bristle at Haro’s questioning but before they could dissolve into a squabble, she reached over and snagged the bottle from Naamino’s bruised grip, her fingers gently brushing up against his own as she did so. She sat back and sighed heavily, staring at the liquid sloshing in the bottle for a moment, before she put on her best “warrior” face and tipped the bottle back for a healthy swig.

The moment the liquid hit her tongue, all her senses felt like they were burning. The taste was…strong and chemical, but as she swallowed and felt the burn down her throat, she managed to actually get notes of…smokey wood and richness that she didn’t think was possible for such a strong drink. She frowned, looking at the bottle for a moment and reading its label.

“Hmm.. burns but it’s not… bad, I guess. Though I have nothing to compare it to.” she said as she passed the bottle to Haro, noticing a bit of warmth settling in her chest and the pit of her stomach that felt strangely good. She smirked again as Haro took a second swig and seemed to suppress a shudder as he did so, before carrying on the game.

"Alright... Never have I ever crashed a ship or speeder I was driving."

Leshanna couldn’t stop the snort of laughter at the very pointed statement, watching as he passed Naami the bottle. She at least was in the clear, but she knew her battle buddy wasn’t. “Yikes - he got you there, Naami!” she said, a silly smirk pulling at her cheeks as mirth shined bright in her eyes, all the while thinking that he was never going to live that moment down. She waited for her friend to take his next swig, then took the bottle from him to start the next round.

"Hmm..." she hummed, thinking for a few moments before spouting off the first thing that came to her mind. "Never have I ever...been late to class!"

 

[Naamino Zuukamano]

Haro's face seemed to be deciding between several different emotions as Naami chose his play. The zabrak was smirking smugly at the boy when Lesh chimed in before the other boy could.

“Ugh…really? Since you were ten?!” Lesh groaned as she processed the Zabrak’s words. “Are you for real right now? Man here I thought I was going to go a while before having to take a drink. Guess not…”

Naami scrunched his face a bit, as if surprised that she was so surprised. He very nearly clarified that it was mostly calisthenic and aerobic activities, habits that every member of his childhood colony were encouraged to maintain. Then Haro chimed in and the hard headed zabrak bickered with him for a moment. Their back and forth might have escalated but further comment from Naami was cut short by Lesh leaning in and her fingers brushing his as she took the bottle. The boy's slightly ajar mouth closed and the tips of his faintly tapered ears pulled back a fraction of an inch as his expression became rather wide eyed, cool blue gaze somehow looking a bit softer.

Lesh handled her first drink with an impressively cavalier attitude and passed the bottle off to Haro, who appeared to be the most reactive to the rather harsh taste of the stuff. Still, he handled that next swig and fired back at Naami quickly.

"Alright... Never have I ever crashed a ship or speeder I was driving." Haro held the bottle out to Naami almost before he finished his sentence, clearly smug and satisfied with himself.

The teen narrowed his eyes at the smug boy, leaning to take the bottle back slowly and grunted an acknowledgement. Lesh's comment both rubbed it in a bit, but also added an air of humor to the moment as well. Enough time had passed and Naami liked to think that he'd grown enough as a person, that the dig was merely a wild anecdote from his earliest days at Kor'ethyr. Besides, he and Micah laughed about it now- why shouldn't he laugh about it with others too? It didn't hurt that the liquor floating around his system was making him feel more laid back than usual.

He kept the bottle as Lesh thought about her next play. Naami raised one dark eyebrow and cocked his head as he thought about it, before taking another sip, this one a bit more gingerly as he noted that he'd taken so many in fast succession.

"Was twenty-five minutes late to xeno-biology back when I first met Gavin. Visited him at the medical bay to see how he was doing after our first duel with Diarch Reign and lost track of the time," he said by way of explanation, given that his peers seemed surprised.

The zabrak leaned to hand the whiskey off to Haro, then looked behind himself. Seeing that he had room, Naami scooted in a little so he could lean back more casually on one of his hands. It was a bit painful to keep his core engaged sitting cross legged and upright like he had been, so he adjusted and let one leg extend into the unoccupied middle of the blanket. He sighed into the relaxation and thought for a moment, looking up at the stars like maybe he'd get an idea there. Then his gaze dropped back down and the ghost of a smile pulled at his lips.

"Never have I ever worn a hat."

For half a second, his composure remained. Then suddenly he barked out a laugh, unable to help himself because he knew how silly it was. His breath steamed into the air and dimples remained for a few moments as his somewhat crooked smile flashed. Crinkled gaze sliding from Lesh, to Haro, and back again as he gauged their reactions to the ridiculous but probably successful play.

 

[Haro Aven]

Feeling further vindicated by Lesh's comment about his play, Haro watched Naami drink with smug satisfaction, then he turned to Lesh as she spoke.
"Hmm... Never have I ever... been late to class!"
Knowing he'd been had again, Haro threw his head back and groaned lightheartedly, still smiling.
"Of course. Why doesn't that surprise me?" It was more of a compliment than a tease. The two related on their shared passion for learning and he knew how much she enjoyed her courses. Then he saw Naami go for a drink and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. He hadn't expected the guy who had never once missed a structured workout since he was ten to have any tardiness to class on his record. The boy's answer was both somewhat sobering and fittingly precise given who it was coming from. Haro took the bottle from him a bit sheepishly.

"I mean, I don't make a habit of being late for class, but y'know... I lost track of time a couple times." He shrugged.
"Also, the hallways are always changing! So that's hardly fair," he complained defensively, shaking his head as he eyed the bottle.
"Man, you two are gunna get me wasted at this rate." He sighed dramatically and took another drink. He was less concerned with the face he made this time, sticking his tongue out after and making a little coughing noise before he looked to Naami, glad to see the Zabrak was relaxing a bit.

"Never have I ever worn a hat..."

The half second of silence only made the silly statement and the sudden barked laugh that followed even funnier, and Haro couldn't help but let loose his bright laughter. Downright tickled by the ridiculousness of it and feeling extra goofy from the booze, Haro laughed so hard he toppled over onto his side, barely keeping the bottle upright as he did so. He rolled on to his back as he tried to catch his breath, wiping tears of joy from his eyes as he looked up at the stars and Lesh who's thigh was now right next to his head.

"Oh man, that was a good one," he said through some last giggles.

"Um, ok," he cleared his throat and rolled onto his side again, propping himself up on an elbow, feeling a little woozy as he did. He looked between the two of them, trying to think of something good and landed on something he remembered he'd been curious about after hearing about the Kor'ethyr dance he'd apparently just missed before enrolling.

"Never have I ever been to a school dance." He paused then pointed with the hand holding the bottle to each of them in turn and added, "And you have to tell me who you went with too, if you did. Oh! And who you danced with."​

 

[Leshanna]

Tags: Naamino Zuukamano // Haro Aven
​

Lesh smirked at the boys as they heard her statement, watching Naami drink first before he explained why he had been late to class. Her smirk softened into a more genuine smile upon hearing that he had visited Gavin in the medic ward; to her it was a perfectly justifiable reason to be late to class. Had it been Naami or Haro in the medic ward, and she’d known about it, then she would have been late to class too.

Haro took the bottle from Naami and made his own remarks - that he’d lost track of time a couple of times. Then he blamed it on the ever shifting hallways and that at the rate they were going, he was going to get ‘wasted’ and Lesh couldn’t help but smirk again, before her gaze was drawn to Naami as he seemed to settle back into a more relaxed position.

Once more, a stray thought of just how handsome he was, drifted through her mind and she quickly tore her gaze away to look back at Haro, her cheeks darkening slightly from such thoughts and she was glad that the boys wouldn’t be able to see her blushing in the low light of the evening. At least, she hoped they wouldn't be able to see it...

"Never have I ever worn a hat..." Naami said, his face set in a serious expression, and both Haro and Lesh looked at him for a moment in silence.

Then the Zabrak boy barked out a laugh, then was quickly joined by Haro as both boys found humor in such a silly statement. Lesh snorted, tried to keep her laughter to herself as she watched her boys fall apart for a moment, but she couldn’t stop the merry chuckle that rippled from her chest, and she only laughed harder when Haro fell over to his side - nearly spilling the booze as he did so.

“Don’t spill it on my blanket!” Lesh exclaimed in mock horror as she laughed further at their silliness, a playful grin pulling at her cheeks to the point that they ached. Haro rolled to his back then, trying to catch his breath and wipe the tears of mirth from his eyes, and Lesh noticed that his head was rather close to the outside of her thigh - yet another thing that brought warmth to her cheeks.

Or maybe that was the alcohol finally starting to take effect?

"Oh man, that was a good one," he said, still giggling a bit before he rolled back to his side once more, propped up by an elbow. Leshanna eyed him with an almost shy little smile when she noticed him glance her way; his bright eyes seemed even brighter all of a sudden, and his whole persona made her feel lighter for a moment. His laughter brought her happiness and made her feel light, and Naami’s presence brought her a sense of safety and connection.

"Never have I ever been to a school dance." Haro suddenly said, before he gestured between Lesh and Naami, "And you have to tell me who you went with too, if you did. Oh! And who you danced with."

“Ach…got me there.” Lesh said before she glanced over at Naamino, memories of the recent Dance returning to her in full clarity. It had been both a fun and a low moment for her - a disappointment that she had changed into a fun memory. “You go first Naami. Besides -” she smirked at the Zabrak boy then, her eyes gleaming deviously; “- I wanna hear who asked who to the Dance first…you or Micah!”

 

[Naamino Zuukamano]

The welcome laughter of both Haro and Lesh had Naami chuckling along for more time than his silly comment warranted, but he was grateful for it. He'd been feeling pretty tense since the fight, but he was finally relaxing into the enjoyment of the moment. That was, until the dance was brought up. It was a somewhat confusing and sensitive subject for him, one that he still wasn't really sure how to feel about.

Though it had only been a handful of days since that night, Micah had seemed more distant and completely wrapped up in school work. With special assignements and his incredible ingenuity being called upon more and more, the kit appeared to only be getting busier.

Naami accepted the bottle to drink, for the first time feeling a bit chilly without his large cloak. But Lesh looked too damn cute and cozy in it for him to even consider asking for it back. His face grew contemplative but there was still a softness there normally concealed under stoicism.

"Uh, ok- yeah," the zabrak stumbled through, a faint pink coloring his ear tips despite the cold, "I uh, well I guess I kinda thought it was like some of the events I'd seen Diarch Reign host- or y'know like the political type parties I've heard the King sometimes throws..."

He was hedging, laying down context for why he'd acted how he did. Blue eyes wandered everywhere but the eyes of his companions as he awkwardly made his way through the story. The hand he braced himself on the blanket with, nearer to Lesh than Haro, fidgeted with the fabric in a tell of tension.

"So yeah- guess I thought it was just another diplomatic assignment, since students from other schools were invited and all kinds of political powers might be present. Anyway, uhm- dunno? I was hanging out with Micah on a free afternoon and we got to talking about it. We used to do a lot more of our assignments together. So- well, I'd never been to something like that before either but, I dunno- Micah got really excited when I asked... He even tailored his own outfit!"

The boy brightened a little near the end of the painfully awkward retelling. His mood much more labile than normal, his often stern features looking more his age when he was uncertain like this. Shy eyes rose to peek at his friend's faces a bit, as he finished his thought with a meek shrug.

"I'm not- err... I'm not much of a dancer. Micah and I left a bit early, after I won that, uhhh," he looked at Lesh for help but ultimately was able to remember.
"After I won the Prince thing, the vote for dance court or whatever," another shy shrug as his gaze wandered over their heads, wanting desperately to be done talking about it.

"Lesh looked amazing though," he finished earnestly, pushing the topic away from himself, "Like really really- she was a way better pick for dance royalty."

 

[Haro Aven]

Looking from Lesh to Naami, a devious thrill twinkling in his bright eyes, Haro felt like he'd struck gold with his last play judging by his friend’s initial expressions alone.

“I wanna hear who asked who to the Dance first…you or Micah!”

Haro leveled a look of exaggerated surprise at Naami—brow raised, mouth agape—as if it was a big reveal. The truth was, it really wasn't that surprising that Naami and Micah had gone to the dance together, considering how much they seemed to like each other. Haro leaned in and handed off the whiskey over where Naami's leg was stretched out, nearly bumping Naami's toes with the bottom of the bottle as he did so. He almost giggled at the miscalculation of spatial awareness.

Haro watched Naami struggle through his painfully awkward explanation with no small amount of amusement, trying to keep a straight face but unaware that his tipsy state made his expressions far louder than usual. He nearly rolled his eyes at Naami's roundabout reasoning for asking Micah to the dance, giving Lesh a look that harkened back to giggles they'd shared about Naami and Micah and how obvious their mutual interest seemed to everyone else except them. There was so much about Naami's recounting that could be used as fodder for relentless teasing but Haro found himself distracted by how endearing it was to see the surly zabrak in such a state. Haro had only known the gruff, self-serious, competent, competitive and confident Naamino Zuukamano so seeing this side of him felt meaningful, enough to give Haro pause and allow Naami to finish his story without interruption.

"Lesh looked amazing though," Naami concluded, clearly trying to direct attention away from himself. "Like really really- she was a way better pick for dance royalty."

"Well, yeah, obviously. Never doubted that." Haro agreed, quick to jump on the opportunity to playfully tease Naami while bolstering Lesh, then he glanced sidelong at her with a flirty little smirk and winked.

"But hold on," he turned his focus back to Naami, effecting a very serious tone.

"I didn't realize we were in the presence of Korriban's Prince of the Dance..." He delivered the title with a grandiose sweeping gesture then paused for dramatic effect. "...who apparently doesn't dance? Not sure how you managed that. Hah!" He laughed.

"Aw man, I wish I'd been there!" He lamented, then looked at Lesh, mischievous. "I don't think whoever your date was would've been very happy with me though, since I'd be trying to whisk you away to the dance floor. Who'd you go with anyway?" Haro asked, unable to fathom a universe where Leshanna didn't get asked by at least one person.​

 

[Leshanna]

Tags: Naamino Zuukamano // Haro Aven​

Naami seemed contemplative for a few moments after he had accepted the bottle and drank from it, before settling into his side of the details of just how he and Micah had found themselves at the Kor’ethyr dance. As she listened, Lesh shifted a bit on the blanket, scooting down and taking the same position that Naami was in, her legs stretched out before her and reclined back on her hands. They were there to get comfy and relax, weren’t they? Both the boys seemed relaxed and were reclined - so maybe it was okay if she did so too.

Lesh watched as Naami’s eyes wandered, looking everywhere but at her and Haro. A small smile tugged at her lips as mirth glimmered in her blue eyes; she could tell when he was shy about something. She didn’t interrupt him as told them both that he had thought it was some diplomatic assignment, something that she mildly rolled her eyes at. Of course Naamino would think that a party or a dance would be an assignment. Naami shared further that he and Micah had talked about it one afternoon and attending together had just…come up.

She did giggle when she heard that Micah had his own suit tailored when Naami asked him to attend with him. That is cute, she thought to herself.

The girl frowned slightly when she heard that Naami hadn’t really…danced, that he and Micah had left a bit earlier, after he’d won the title of Dance Prince.

Then he changed direction of the topic and said that she had looked good, and had been a better pick for Dance Royalty - and a flush of pink filled her freckled cheeks yet again. Lesh tore her gaze away from the Zabrak and looked above her at the twinkling stars beyond, trying to gain control of her sudden shyness as Haro jumped in. She glanced at him just in time to catch his flirty smile and wink, and this only made her blush deepen.

Wow, I’m feeling really warm…

Haro turned his teasing back to Naami, and gave Lesh a moment to compose herself…before he turned those luminous and somewhat glassy eyes back to her. His expression was mischievous.

"Aw man, I wish I'd been there! I don't think whoever your date was would've been very happy with me though, since I'd be trying to whisk you away to the dance floor. Who'd you go with anyway?"

Lesh groaned, not sure if her face could get any more red than it was, before she reached over to Naami and yanked the bottle of booze from him, listening to it slosh within the container. Maybe another drink could hide the fact that she was so red in the cheeks…

Without much thought, the girl brought the rim to her lips and tipped it back, letting the burning amber liquid fill her mouth. It hadn’t been that bad the first time, surely she could handle more than just a sip…And more was certainly what she got. This time however, the whiskey burned more fiercely as she swallowed a whole mouthful and then some before she pulled away, sputtering a bit as her face scrunched up.

“Ughhh….damn that might have been too much.” she said as she tried not to gag against the acrid and sour chemical burn in the back of her mouth. At first, nothing really seemed to happen. And then suddenly…the heat hit her, starting in the pit of her stomach then spreading through her veins and limbs like liquid fire. Leshanna’s eyes widened as she hastily set the bottle down as her senses suddenly swam around her.

“Oh holy bantha balls.” she breathed, before a silly grin split her cheeks. She suddenly felt very good, and felt that life was utterly perfect. She glanced at Haro, then over at Naami, smiling at them both.

“Who…who did I go with? Uh…no one. Well…I meant to go with Naami but-" she burped suddenly and covered her mouth with a little giggle. “Ooops. ‘Scuse me. Uh…yeah…Wow I feel really warm…” she said as she fanned her face with a hand for a moment before she stared wide eyed at the cold desert landscape around her, feeling the pulse pounding in her head.

“Yeah…I bought this pretty blue dress hoping to impress Naami with it. I really wanted to dance with him…but I found out he went with Micah instead. Which is…okay! It’s fine…No one really asked me though but there was this cute boy, an outsider I think, at the dance…who went and ate goodies with me at the little snack bar. We chatted for a little bit…”

The glassy eyed girl looked back over at her friends, seeming to remember that they were both there with her. A sudden rush of vulnerability came over her as she looked at Haro. “...do you really mean it? You would have danced with me…had you been there at the time? I would have really liked it…Honestly…I think…dancing with you both would have made me so happy. Maybe next time though.”

She fell silent once more, trying to pull her thoughts together. They were starting to feel so hazy, but she was able to recall that they were playing a game.

“Oh! Right…never have I ever…never…oh man this is hard…I can’t think of anything!” She said with a pout, thinking a bit longer before she blurted the next thing that came into her mind. “Never have I ever seen a Jedi before!”

 

[Naamino Zuukamano]

At first, his bid to turn the conversation away from himself was completely unsuccessful. Haro had that mischievous gleam in his eyes as he acted out deference to newfound "royalty" in his presence. Naami just rolled his eyes, not yet perturbed, though still a bit pink around the edges of his surly visage.

Then he had a moment of reprieve as the pesky boy turned his attention to Leshanna. Naami looked between them, eyes tracking the way the girl clearly reacted well to Haro's attention and feeling more than a little envy at the confidence Haro had in himself. Darkness… why was this kind of thing so uncomfortable for him when others made it seem easy and natural?

Naami's eyes widened with shock as Lesh shared her revelation so casually. That she'd wanted to go with him… that she'd dressed to impress him…

"Didn't realize—" he murmured quietly.

He felt a rush of confusion and concern. Had he disappointed Micah too? They'd danced… a little bit, somewhat stiffly on Naami's end. Maybe Micah regretted agreeing to go with him, maybe that's why they'd hardly seen each other in the past few days. The zabrak's grimace tightened across his face, jaw clenching as he sat up and pulled his leg inward to wrap chilly arms around his knee.

She went on, seemingly "ok" with it all, but was it ok? It sounded like he'd inadvertently hurt her, that he'd stupidly stumbled his way into disappointing his two best friends… Then there was Haro, whose interest clearly thrilled her— who clearly knew what he was doing and carried himself with such easy confidence.

His ears were ringing, his body felt full of stormy emotions that suddenly threatened to break what little composure he had left. A mixture of embarrassment, shame, and confusion flooded through him and frankly caused all his attention to go inward. The fact that his friend said she'd love to dance with "both of them next time" was lost on him entirely. The cold, as well as the horrid pit in his stomach, made him consider leaving to take a walk. It'd warm him up— hells, it would give Leshanna and Haro a chance to hang out alone, which seemed like something they might prefer.

With downcast eyes, Naami hugged his knee. He didn't reach for the bottle— though it was unclear if he'd even heard her "never have I ever", and he seemed more closed off than he had been all night, though he'd finally managed to school his expression to a thin-lipped stare rather than the sad and confused grimace of before.

 

[Haro Aven]

Haro's eyes went wide when Leshanna threw caution to the wind and downed a hefty gulp of whiskey. He failed to fight down a bemused smile as she sputtered and scrunched up her face. He snickered at the unexpectedly crude expletive which sounded extra funny coming from her. He reached out to snatch the bottled she'd set down before it toppled over onto the blanket. Clearly still struggling to recover from her drink, Lesh began stumbling through her response. Haro barely had time to register his surprise that she had in fact gone to the dance alone because she immediately followed it with the admission that she'd meant to go with Naami. Haro's gaze immediately shifted to the Zabrak who looked just as stunned as Haro felt. He could feel the discomfort begin to settle over the scene like a wet blanket which only became heavier as she carried on with her story.

She stared out at the desert as her admissions continued to fill the stunned silence, clearly unaware of how Naami began to visibly deflate and pull in on himself. It became very clear very quickly that this was the first time Naami had heard of any of this and that it didn't sit well with him. Lesh obviously didn't hold it against Naami nor was she saying it to make him feel bad, but Haro couldn't help sympathizing with him. If the roles had been reversed, Haro would probably feel pretty embarrassed too. He suddenly regretted teasing Naami about the whole Prince of the Dance thing, even if it was meant to be playful, now that the guy looked so dejected.

"Do you really mean it? You would have danced with me… had you been there at the time?" Lesh's direct question brought Haro's focus back to her and he suddenly felt awkward about answering. If he was too enthusiastic about reaffirming what he'd said, he risked making Naami feel worse, but if he back-peddled, he risked making Lesh feel bad.
"Uh yeah," he managed before she continued, clearly distracted by the shift in energy.
"I would have really liked it… Honestly… I think… dancing with you both would have made me so happy. Maybe next time though."

Before Haro could respond, Lesh seemed to recall it was her turn in the game and, after struggling to think of something, she blurted, "never have I ever seen a Jedi before!" The statement sobered Haro even more than the awkwardness between his two companions did. He glanced at the bottle in his hand, weighing the risks of his answers for perhaps a bit too long. He hoped that the others were too preoccupied with their own intoxication and emotions to notice. Haro sighed and shook his head, then took a drink. It had not gotten easier like he'd hoped and he winced as the whiskey burned down his throat again.

"Hard not to see them when you live on Coruscant, even in the lower levels, especially if you ever follow the news." He shrugged like it was the most normal thing in the world, then glanced at Naami, determining it was probably better to circle back to the dance conversation, despite the discomfort, rather than dwell on the topic of Jedi for too long.

"Well, it sounds like you succeeded at impressing Naami with how amazing you looked at the dance. And now that we both know that you'd like to dance with us, next time we'll make it happen, yeah?" Haro slid a foot over to gently nudge Naami's leg with it, doing what he could think to do to smooth things over and offer Naami an opening to do the same without bringing too much attention to it.

"I mean, it's not like I've ever been to a formal dance before, so you two would have to show me how it's done. I wouldn't even know what to wear," he admitted with a chagrined smile in an effort to lighten the mood and humble himself a bit in the process.​

 

[Leshanna]

Naamino Zuukamano // Haro Aven
​

It took Leshanna a moment to realize that something was…wrong…through the haze of the strong liquor that seemed to drape a warm fog over her and dull her awareness somewhat. Wide sapphire hued eyes flickered to Naamino, and she stared at him in silence after she had blurted her question to the two of them.

Haro drank the whiskey and murmured something about being unable to miss the Jedi on Coruscant, but she hardly noticed any of that. For a moment, all Lesh could do was watch Naami as he seemed to deflate and pull inwards, and she felt both hot and cold at the same time. He’d been fine…until she’d made her comments. Guilt, very open and raw, flashed over her face.

"Well, it sounds like you succeeded at impressing Naami with how amazing you looked at the dance. And now that we both know that you'd like to dance with us, next time we'll make it happen, yeah?” Haro said then, and she pulled her eyes away from the Zabrak to look at the other boy as he finished what was on his mind, "I mean, it's not like I've ever been to a formal dance before, so you two would have to show me how it's done. I wouldn't even know what to wear."

A faint smile tugged at the girl’s dark rosy hued lips. The idea of Haro and Naami dancing was…admittedly humorously cute in her mind. She daydreamed for a moment about that, before she turned her attention back to Naami, watching him for a moment longer. She was feeling something build within her chest - a pressure and a want to say something to pull the young man from the low depths he seemed to find himself in. It was surreal, to see this side of him. He was always so confident and stoic, and now he was down and closed off.

Did the alcohol have a part to play in this too, she wondered? She wasn’t sure, but she certainly felt the need to fix it. She didn’t like seeing him like this, at all.

Lesh scooted herself closer to Naami, closer than she’d been before - and though she tried to be graceful in the movement, she wobbled a bit as the world spun around her. A snort and a giggle escaped her before she could rein it in, and she could help but blush again at her silliness. She pulled herself back together, and hesitated for only a moment before she reached out and gently laid a hand upon his arm, frowning slightly when she felt how cold he was.

“...Naami?” Lesh said, her voice soft as she tried to catch her saddened friend’s eyes. “I’m…I’m sorry if I said something that upset you. It wasn’t my intention…” She paused for a moment, still feeling the pressure build. “I’m not mad at you, Naami. I-I could have asked you sooner, so really…I let the ball drop on that.”

Oh Force, why is this so hard?

“I take any chance I can to be…around you. Yeah, I missed out on a dance with you…but look at us now? Drinking that horrid…whatever it is, laughing, being…free. This…means so much to me. I wouldn’t trade this moment for anything.” She paused again for a heartbeat, and felt the pressure form cracks in that wall holding back…whatever it was she was feeling.

“If I can be honest…I…I chickened out, asking you to the Dance. I…I’ve seen you with Micah and how the both of you seem to really enjoy each other’s company and…as much as I really like you, I didn’t want to come between you and him. I didn’t want you to think I was like…jealous or something. And I’ve just been too…scared…to tell you the truth. Afraid I would push you away, make things really weird or awkward for us. I’m still afraid that is going to happen now…”

She swallowed the suddenly hard lump that had formed in her throat, as she cast an almost shy and vulnerable glance towards Haro too as the floodgates opened up and she spilled more of what she'd been hiding away in her heart.

“I…I like both of you. And I just want to do a small part in making you both happy. Making you both smile and laugh. I’d do…just about anything for you guys. You’re both…my boys. I’m sure that sounds really silly…but it’s true.”

She hiccuped then, and immediately covered her face as embarrassment flooded through her, especially when she realized what all she had just said. What she had just…confessed to. A thousand thoughts and worries began to flood her mind then - what if they are embarrassed by me? What if they shun me now? What if I’ve made things awkward between us all now? What if…

Lesh groaned, sitting back to give Naami some space, and feeling way too suddenly vulnerable and shy to even look at either of them in the moment.

What have I done? Oh I’m going to regret this…aren’t I?

“I’m…I’m sorry Naami.”

 

[Naamino Zuukamano]

The friendly nudge from Haro and his delicate approach to the topic at hand was what seemed to bring Naami back a bit. He hadn't heard the question and answer about seeing Jedi, had basically forgotten they were actually playing a game. Head swimming from whiskey and new information, the boy's wide eyes considered the boy across from him first. Then he managed to bring his gaze back to Lesh, realizing all at once how obvious his rush of emotion had been.

For a moment his eyes were too shy to look her in the face, but her move closer and the use of his name brought his focus back to her fully. The girl's warmer hand on his chilled arm eased some of his discomfort too. As Lesh worked her way through her explanation, Naami listened with an unusually transparent display of emotion crossing his face.

Sadness that she felt the need to apologize to him.

Relief when she said she wasn't mad at him.

Then a growing surprise and almost awe which showed in raised eyebrows and widened eyes.

Soon, the depth of her emotions and the veritable tsunami of information threatened to sweep Naami away in a spiral of overthinking. But then she seemed as if she might move away and Naami made a small grunt of protest in the back of his throat, reaching out to keep her close. He surprised himself a bit, having done it on instinct, but it felt right. Gently, he reached to hook an arm around her mid-back beneath his oversized cloak and pulled her close. With his opposite hand he pulled the other end of the cloak to make sure it was tucked around her properly, not wanting the cold to bother his already upset friend.

"Please don't-" he started to mumble, looking shyly at her sidelong now they were pressed so close.

"You don't need to say sorry," he amended, not wanting to tell her what to feel in the moment.

He sure as all the hells didn't know what he felt or ought to feel right now. His mouth twisted in a confused little smile, eyebrows scrunched with quizzical uncertainty. Naami's eyes rose back to Haro's rather beseechingly.

"Thank you for telling me, Lesh… You're amazing-" there was so much more he could say, so much more he should add.

"I really like you too," his voice felt hoarse all of a sudden, like he needed to drink a gallon of water.

"Please don't feel bad because of me, ok? I'mma be fine— just was surprised is all."

He rested his cheek against her head as he managed to finish his thoughts, not wanting to talk over anything else Lesh might need to add. His hold on her would also release at any hint that the contact might be unwelcome. Naami managed to give Haro a little shrug as if to say, "I hope I'm doing this right."

 

[Haro Aven]

Lesh's movement caught Haro's attention and he watched her scoot closer to Naami with no small amount of curiosity and anticipation. Despite how he still lounged on his side, propped up on an elbow, he was a bit tense with the suspense of not knowing how things were about to play out. Not daring to risk distraction, Haro remained silent and unmoving while he witnessed the awkward yet heartwarming exchange like it was his own personal little Holodrama. He rested his head on his hand, a small smile creeping onto his face as Leshanna poured her heart out to Naami who, in turn, cycled through a gambit of expressions, uncharacteristically transparent. Haro wasn't surprised that she felt that way about Naami and, honestly, he found that he was actually happy for them, that a part of him had hoped they'd find this opportunity. He was even a little proud of the role he played in facilitating it. Considering all the hardship he knew the two of them had been through in their lives, and the challenges they still had yet to face, Haro felt they deserved to be free like this, as Lesh had put it.

Then, Lesh turned to look at him with those big beautiful blue eyes and he perked up, suddenly no longer just an observer. It was his turn to look surprised when Leshanna admitted she liked both of them, that she wanted to make them both happy, that she'd do just about anything for her boys. Sure, he and Lesh had become fast friends, their chemistry was undeniable, and he had very much taken a liking to her, but he certainly didn't consider himself to be anywhere near as special to her as Naami was. He grinned as a rush of nervous elation danced in his core, accentuated by the booze. Haro was grateful Naami took quick action to pull her in close and offer her immediate reassurance because it gave Haro time to reign in some of his own giddy excitement and gather his tipsy mushy thoughts into something more coherent.

Haro met Naami's beseeching eyes with a reassuring smile, a slight nod, and a quick wink. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and leaned over to set the bottle down on the flat stone at the edge of the blanket. The simple task turned out to require more focus than he was used to in his compromised state.

"Wow," he began addressing Lesh, "well, first of all, Naami's absolutely right, you are amazing. And you already make me happy all the time, even when you're not trying to," he assured her, briefly glancing down in a sudden bout of shyness but soon distracted by the idea of playfully teasing Naami.

"Also, hey, I totally get why you might be intimidated by asking this guy to the dance," he said conspiratorially to Lesh, leaning in toward her as he jabbed a thumb over at Naami. He winked at him but continued as if only Lesh could hear. "He's pretty spikey, even if he is kinda cute. But you're the one who told me that there's a good guy under all that grumpy and look at him now! All sweet and gushy and stuff." He snickered, bright green eyes glittering with mirth.

"Seriously though, I hope you know you can always be honest with your boys, Lesh." Another rush of elation lit up his face with a bright grin as he repeated her moniker for them. The sensation inspired him to act on an impulse and he suddenly looked downright impish.

"Hmm… Never have I ever…" Haro began slowly shifting as he spoke, tucking his feet under himself in preparation. "…hug-tackled two people at the same time!" He lunged at them, wrapping his arms around them both and bowling them over onto the blanket.

After indulging in being a silly tipsy giggly pile of teenagers for a long moment, Haro lifted himself off them and moved over to settle the other side of Lesh from Naami. He remained close, propping himself up on an elbow, prepared to listen to whatever else his companions might want to share.​