An incorrigible habit

The Master of the Ceremony's lively voice echoed throughout the four corners of the event venue. He started his introduction of the guests the moment they entered. His words were humorous and he often makes some comical faces. It didn't take long before the venue turned into a rib-tickling comedy stage.

Lucian laughed in a little reserved way after he was introduced by the emcee. He then went to where his table is. Every guest will be given their numbers, and those numbers will tell them which table they'll sit at. For the sake of being organized.

Most of the guests invited were Martin's acquaintances, so he took into consideration the fact that those people belong to certain circles. He made sure at least one of their friends will be with them at the same table.

Lucian for example was placed on the same table as Lila. Lila waved her hands at him, he went to where she is and sat on the seat beside her.

"You look great." Lucian complimented her. Lila replied with a wink.

"Of course I am mwehehe." She placed her right hand on the front of her lips and laughed, she's quite confident in herself.

Lucian tried looking around for the others and found Sherdan on the same table as Friedde, Arice, and Sean.

Lucian felt his head aching, goodness, what a mess!. Why did Martin arrange them at the same table?.

He wanted to go there and swap seats, but before he can even stand up, the emcee had already called for the birthday boy. Everyone stood up and clapped, and Lucian was forced to forfeit.

He sighed, feeling relentless for Sherdan.

Sherdan on the other hand remained unbothered. He sat there on his seat, without even glancing at anyone. Friedde clenched his fist, he doesn't understand how Sherdan can still keep his composure.

Arice saw his clenched hands and smiled.

"What's wrong?. Come on, Martin's about to give his speech." He urged Friedde to listen. Friedde reluctantly listened to him and turned his gaze towards Martin who's standing on the stage.

The round golden-sheeted tables were situated near the corners of the hall in a circular row. In their center is a moderate-sized ballroom. This ballroom was used as the stage.

Martin stood there under the limelight, and he started his speech filled with his thoughts and gratitude to the guests. It took him more than 10 minutes to finish, and by that time everyone was already hungry.

The emcee announced that it's already time to dine and so everyone started lining up for the food at the huge table. Martin didn't want the staff to serve his guests some foods picked by him because it might not be up to their taste. He only ordered the hotel staff to serve the businessmen who were invited by his parents. They were all seated separately since most of the guests were teenagers.

This might seem rude, but nobody minds. It's because all of Martin's personal guests don't want those bland salads and vegetables, to be the only food they'll eat!.

They wanted to choose their foods. So there's no problem with the way things are arranged.

During these busy surroundings, Sean slipped away and went to the restroom. Arice noticed him moving and placed the glass of non-alcoholic beverage he's holding on the table. He leaned towards Friedde and spoke.

"I'll just fix myself in the restroom. Go ahead without me okay?" He smiled. His voice was warm and loving. Friedde obediently nodded, making Arice pleased.

Arice walked towards where Sean went with a smile still plastered on his face.

The moment Arice entered, Sean reflexively glanced his way. There's no sign of other people inside the restroom aside from them, making Arice grin.

He went towards Sean who was facing the mirror while washing his hands and leaned on the countertop. His back was facing the mirror while Sean is just beside him.

"You're aware right, that this is your fault," Arice said, his lips pouting. But his voice couldn't hide his real emotions, mirth. Sean froze in his spot but eventually gave his answer.

He looked at Arice, his eyes held visible emotion.

"It's not my fault that you're a lunatic." He spoke, his voice is cold.

Arice didn't mind, and actually, find this amusing. He tilted his face slowly. All his actions were playful, one that never holds any seriousness.

Sean avoided his gaze, but Arice was persistent. He moved closer to him and tried to snuggle in his arms. Sean tried hard to push him away, but he wouldn't budge.

"When are you going to stop your immaturity?" He asked, helpless. Arice pulled them closer together and locked him in his embrace.

"Let's see, hmmm. Maybe never?" He playfully answered.

He then closed in the gap between them and claimed his lips. Sean stood there, unable to let go. His heart sour, and his eyes hot. He wonders, when will he ever learn to let him go?.

Sherdan had a scowl on his face, his eyes held apparent annoyance. Friedde refused to back down even after seeing his gaze and continued putting his favorite foods on his plate. He had a shameless smile on his face.

"Here, you like this right?. Eat it, think of it as my apology okay?. I don't know what I did, but let's just stop fighting okay?." Friedde said. He had tried approaching it differently. If Sherdan wouldn't apologize, then he will. Maybe it was his fault that they had come to this. Although he doesn't want to believe it.

"Sherdan, you've loved me for long. So I wouldn't believe you'd forget about me so easily. Come back to me okay? How about you tell me what's wrong and I'd try to fix it." Friedde said with a warm smile, but his veins were already twitching. Does he have to go into the trouble of lowering his self to get this guy?.

Sherdan's eyes had long become cold. The only thing in his mind is that this guy is unpleasant.

"Stop your pretense, and mind your own business." Sherdan gripped his arms and roughly pushed him away. Friedde wasn't so weak, so he didn't stumble after the sudden force, but he was extremely mad. And another indecipherable emotion started swelling in his heart.

He hated how he's being pushed around like this, and also hate how Sherdan is treating him like this. For some reason, he also feels like crying.

Sherdan couldn't care less and decided to ignore him.

Arice and Sean went back a moment later. Arice had a suspiciously satisfied grin on his face, while Sean was abnormally quiet. Sherdan noticed this but didn't point it out, there is no reason for him to intervene on other people's issues. Friedde on the other hand looked at Sean in a scrutinizing manner, he felt like something was off.

"Arice, what did you do?. Why did it take you so long?." He asked and encircled his arms around Arice's. He had already forgotten that he was just pursuing Sherdan earlier. Arice smiled innocently.

"I just took a piss. It wasn't that long. Have you eaten yet? Did you get me any food?." He casually changed the subject. Friedde didn't catch on to his tricks and immediately answered his question.

"Yes, I did. I don't know what you like to eat so I just get what looks tasty."

"Is that so? Thank you then." Arice then patted his head. That's a good dog. He sneered.

Friedde who was unaware of his thoughts blushed like a girl, making Lucian who was looking at the unfolding events in his table so irritated he wanted to just rush in there and strangle him to death.

He was so annoyed that he was smoking hot. Lila saw him like this and was so amazed. She didn't know someone can look this angry.

She tapped his back like he's a baby and calmed him down. Making Lucian turn his irritation to her. Lila just whistled and avoided her gaze.

Chill out, friend.

Everyone finished dining, and it was time for dancing. This birthday party kinda feels like a formal gathering, probably because of some adult guests.

A lot of gentlemen's started standing and went to those ladies they wanted to dance with, and soon after, the hall was filled with people dancing to the beat of the ever-changing rhythm.

The lively music eventually stopped and was replaced by the gentle and melodic sounds of love songs. Lucian's mouth dropped down after remembering that before, this was an event that pushed Sherdan and Friedde into a quarrel.

In the original timeline, Friedde danced with an adult lady and also obviously admired her, based on Sherdan's eyes. Well, Lucian had seen through every event with Sherdan's eyes so he can also tell, Friedde was seriously swayed by that matured lady's big boobs!.

Lucian stood up, and with great determination, he went to the others table. First, he will try if he can switch seats with anyone aside from the four, asking Friedde to switch seats is futile, the scum will surely not give up his seat. If that first plan failed, then he will just drag Sherdan away from the upcoming events, as to how he doesn't know.

Lucian sighed, sure he can just let things go the way it was supposed to, but he refuses not to. Sherdan will surely not do anything and will just sit there watching the scene unfolding so Lucian will undergo the trouble of making sure he wouldn't see it.

Lucian clenched his fist In a comical way, determined to do as he planned. That guy Sherdan had to have his mindset changed, it doesn't mean things are normal just because he had been used to it.

Lucian reached their table, with his determined face, making everyone look at him and think he's weird. But before he can even open his mouth, Sherdan already stood up and went to him. Sherdan snatched his wrist and pulled him towards the ballroom.

Eh!?

Lucian was dumbfounded, Friedde frowned and Arice smiled, interested in this sudden turn of events. As to Sean, he was still staring off at a far distance.

What? What's with this sudden pulling?

"I wanted to get out of there so I used you as a scapegoat," Sherdan explained after they stopped walking.

"While we're at it, let's dance." Sherdan.

Lucian stood there, in the center of numerous people who were completely eye-catching, he had his eyes fixated on Sherdan. The people around them continued dancing, inside their world, there must have been several things going on. But inside the two of them's world, was a serene and stagnant peace.

Lucian realized one thing, 'he' knows. Sherdan knows, and he's changing.

He probably knows, that he had viewed several things differently from others. And maybe, he had started to change. Because if he was still the same old him, he will just sit there, without a care to the world.

Lucian smiled, he then asked.

"Are you fine? Dancing with a guy in public."

"We're unrecognizable right now."

Lucian smiled bitterly and took his hands. He wishes for this guy, to eventually get out of 'that' cage too.

Friedde sat there in his seat, looking at the two of them dancing so beautifully. His heart ached, and anger clouded his mind.

But he was still rational, he couldn't possibly go there and make some mess. However, this last strand of rationality snapped to two, when Sherdan slightly leaned on the vixen and told him something. The vixen smiled and the two of them looks intimate.

Friedde's eyes had become bloodshot, and before he can even stop himself, he had already strode to where the two were in a rush. He stretched out his hands and was about to grab Lucian's hair, but Sherdan noticed him and gripped on his wrists with a strength strong enough to leave purple marks.

Friedde grimaced from pain but Sherdan didn't take pity on him. Everyone noticed this commotion and they stopped dancing, the music also lowered down, making the room turn awkward.

"Get out of my face," Sherdan said, his voice was cold, but hostility is visible in his hazel eyes.

Friedde flinched from fear, he had never seen Sherdan make this face before. He trembled from indignation. His eyes made everyone think that he'd gone mad.

"Ya Sherdan. Don't you think you're being too much?! What did I do wrong!?" He shouted. He didn't even care that they were at a birthday party, and started making a scandal. He had long forgotten that he was, because of his intense emotions.

Sherdan let go of his wrists that had now become red and were about to leave with Lucian. But Friedde couldn't take this lying down like that, and shouted, his voice echoing throughout the big hall.

"You faggot!. No one can accept you aside from me!. Everyone hated your kind, but I accepted you. I didn't judge you didn't I? I've been kind, and what did you give me in return? This? I don't deserve this!!" He roared. Sherdan froze in the spot. His mind had turning muddied.

"Hey everyone! This guy is gay! Did you hear that? He's a disgusting gay!." He cried out, his voice sounds like he had been driven crazy. The words he spoke contradicted themselves.

Arice's lips turned into a grim line. His forehead furrowed. It seems Friedde was this kind of guy.

The purpose of messing with this guy for entertainment had now become a serious objective, he will certainly, and seriously destroy this guy.

Friedde was about to speak again, but his face was punched roughly by the next second. Everyone in the room was speechless, their eyes wide open.

A fight! At a birthday party.

Lucian felt like he could punch this guy a million more times and it still wouldn't quench his anger.

This bastard is truly a bastard no matter what age he is.

But Lucian forced himself to stop and instead, he decided to drag Sherdan out. He needs to get this guy away from this scum. Sherdan was pulled away by Lucian without a fuss.

Everyone left in the room was still gaping, Martin himself was surprised. But he immediately told to emcee to fix the mood of the hall.

He's truly thankful his parents had already switched to a more private room and brought the minimal number of guests that only came for business.

Martin silently contemplated to himself. He will ask Sherdan after this event is done.

Lucian dragged Sherdan to the ground floor and pulled him outside, towards the separated kid's pool. The kid's pool was the only place where no one is around, after all, it's almost midnight. The birthday party started quarter to ten, and it was meant to be a sleepover too. Martin had booked several rooms in the hotel for his guests for this reason.

Sherdan was silent, but his heart is beating so loudly and abnormally in his chest. He clenched his fist, the sleeping demons that had been haunting him awoke once again.

His hands remained trembling even though they had already moved far from the people in the party. He clenched his fist and pulled back his hair that's hindering his vision.

His beating heart was extremely painful, and the fear he developed couldn't be subdued.

His mind is in a mess, he felt his body growing cold.

"You're not abnormal," Lucian muttered, his teeth sinking into his bottom lips. He wanted to tell more but doesn't want Sherdan to feel more uncomfortable because of his meddling.

At the same time, the clock hits midnight and the Golden Threads shone radiantly.

And all of a sudden, an excruciating pain assaulted them. Sherdan completely forgot about the earlier matter in an instant, as his mind tries to cope up with the pain. Lucian was worst than him, as he was already coughing some blood.

Lucian screamed from the pain, his eyes started tearing up. Sherdan held his voice in and bit his lips hard, the next second the taste of blood spread inside his mouth. He grunted, several veins bulging in his arms.

Lucian's mind had become messy, and he accidentally gripped on Sherdan before he fell. This sudden contact made a great change, and the pain the both of them we're feeling reduced to a great degree.

The both of them who had become muddle-headed from pain suddenly received relief from the sudden physical contact, so they unconsciously fllowed their instincts and sought for each other.

Sherdan was sitting on the floor of the pool, his legs sinking to the water, while Lucian was on top of him. The both of them were snuggling each other tight, their instincts told them that the moment they let go, the excruciating pain will surely come back.

The two of them weren't aware, that they had signed up themselves on a big mess.