Say it if you mean it

[Levi Yoon]

Levi could see Sully was still smiling and still being positive and that's why he loved him. He made the happiness come out even when he didn't want it to be there. No matter how hard he tried to stay upset Sully's smile make him smile. Wrapping both arms around Sullivan's lower waist he pulled him close not wanting Kinley to have his attention anymore. He was sure Kinely wanted to be free to text away. "Do you think we can get someone to buy us some rum and we can put it in our soda in the garden. You know to lighten the mood. I didn't mean to get bitchy on you. I'm just." He stopped himself from saying it out loud. Worried about Eli.

This would be the first time Levi drank they did it in the movies and they always seemed to have fun and he wanted to have fun for a change. He needed to live for himself once and awhile. His mom raised him just fine so one night with Eil she would be fine more than fine. They didn't need him all the time he was a kid himself he needed to act like it.

"Sully you can pass as 21, you have a nice jawline very mature." He was now trying to talk his best friend into doing something illegal. If Sully asked him to he would do the same and he knew it. He just needed his best friend to be a best friend right now and save him from himself. This was not the time or place to have a little talk but he needed it.

[Sullivan Bennett]

"Welllllll, we could just nick some of those tiny bottles everybody's selling."

The festival was supposed to be a family event but there were guys in bikini bottoms everywhere and women wearing pasties over their nipples. And yeah, there were a lot of people privately selling tiny little bottles of various kinds of liquor. It wouldn't be the first time Sully had a little something harder to drink; he was the type of kid who had to try everything at least once. And a lot more if it was fun. He was what his adoptive grandmother called a "Good-time Charley."

(He had no idea what that was supposed to mean but he took it as a compliment.)

"I know, I look old for my age," he said, trying his best to look old and mature. "But I'm telling you, I'll just take some. If we're breaking the law anyway, might as well go the distance." He spotted a vendor up ahead and he turned to Levi and put a finger to his lips before turning and trotting off. When he got closer, he oh-so-casually walked past the merchandise and slipped a few into his pocket and continued to keep walking oh-so-casually like he hadn't done a thing wrong.

[Levi Yoon]

Levi's eye's bulged as Sully took off to five fingers discount some booze for him, he was a true friend. He smacked Kinley, "Get ready to run if he gets caught." He forgot how crazy his buddy was as he watched from a distance. He was nervous for him as he watches so he looked away for a moment scared that him watching Sully would get him caught. Like a child not looking at there parents when they are scolding them. Levi got that a lot with Eli so he knew he was acting like a child. But he didn't really care he wanted to regress and step back from growing up for a moment.

Then he was back, Sully like nothing had happened. "DId you get it?" He asked as he wrapped his arm around Sully's and started to walk. He looked away so no seeing how smooth his friend was snatching them up like a ninja. They headed out of the festival so the could get drunk and have fun in the garden. Levi now had a smile on his face and was trying to have a good time.

[Sullivan Bennett]

"Oh, come on..." Kinley said back to Levi. Sully grinned. Probably because he thought he knew better than Levi how to get into trouble. Kinley kind of wasn't that much of a troublemaker but he'd sort of gained that reputation lately. What with the boyfriend that came out of nowhere and all that. Huh. Sully wondered if the texting had anything to do with that. Sully didn't know specifics though and he wasn't about to ask for them, either.

"Yep, yep!" he said, his eyes bright as he slid a small bottle into each of his friends' hands. Kinley looked down at his and shook his head but a moment later, he was looking around and then twisting the top off. Sully grinned.

"This'll be way more fun than the festival, anyway," he said, drawing Levi in a tiny bit closer.

[Levi Yoon]

WOW, He did it Levi too the tiny bottle it was about one t or two shots. He didn't know how many he snagged or how many they needed to get drunk. He didn't know much about his tolerance, any of theirs.

"Thank's Sully! I could kiss you right now." He didn't really mean it he hadn't really even wondered why Sully had them go there of all places. He hadn't thought about much of anything other this is brother an mother is awhile. Who am I any more? He was being drawn in closer and he went with it. He hadn't even taken a drink yet but felt drunk? High? Something, maybe just off?

"Are we drinking it like this or?" He was being a sissy he didn't like the way it smelled she was sure it didn't taste good. Kinley was already drinking one. It made Levi feel pressured to do it too without something to mask the taste. He was the loser noob this time not knowing what to do.

[Sullivan Bennett]

"Heheh." Stupid laugh. "Wait, you're not going to?"

Kinley made a gagging sound but he was slowing down. It looked like whatever he was hoping to hear, he'd heard it. Or something equally interesting. Kinley took a long swig from the little bottle that Sully filched for him, then pushed it back into Sully's hand.

"What?" Sully asked with a grin. "Afraid to get in trouble?"

"No, I have to do. My little brother... needs me. Later!"

"Wait--!"

Without so much as a better explanation, Kinley was running the opposite direction, practically swimming through the rainbow signs, boas, and dresses. Sully shrugged.

"Guess this means it's just you and me now."

[Levi Yoon]

Levi made a face at his laugh(Sully?) A goofy nervous smile on his face but Kinley interrupted the moment and out like lightning before he or Sully could say anything. "What what?"  Levi was able to spit out with no response just Kinley's back, he grew smaller and smalled the further he got. Then looked at Sully, "I guess it is, true friends stick together he was beings a downer anyways with being on his phone and all.

"We're still going to the garden right?" Levi pouted his lips just before taking a drink from the little bottle. He didn't like the taste of it at all and it burned when it went down. He made a sour face and winked "Wow that was really strong." he looked at the bottle. It was whiskey. "You trying to get me drunk or something?" Levi wiggled his eyes brows then finished the small bottle off. He put the cap on and tossed it in a nearby trash bin.

It warmed his whole chest and he felt like he could breathe for the first time. It was like the whiskey ran through his veins as he was walked. "Why are you my best friend Sully? I have been a bad best friend lately. I'm sorry."

[Sullivan Bennett]

"Yep, we're still going to the garden."

It was obvious to him at least that Levi didn't want to be here at the festival. Even more obvious that Kinley didn't either. Busted. So Sully was the only one who wanted to go. He wondered if that meant he was the only one with a big old secret to tell. Maybe he shouldn't tell it, actually. Quickly, he took another drink from one of the small bottles and his gaze followed Levi's hand as he tossed away a bottle. They were already drinking so why not more? As they passed another small stand, he swiped a few more, tucking them into his pockets artfully.

"Why's the sun orange?" he asked with a shrug. "We just are and you so aren't a bad friend. I know you got all that crazy stuff going on. I'm just glad you came out with me."

Er, that could have meant a few different things but he'd pretend he didn't realize that...

[Levi Yoon]

"Yay!" Levi jumped up and down and shouted but stopped when his stomach sloshed around, Don't jump when drinking-noted!

"It's just is," Levi said causally answering why they were best friends. "Right! Do you think Sunny came to the event? I think he likes me." Levi and Sully didn't talk about girls or guys but they both kinda knew the didn't like girls Levi took a liking to Sunny. He hadn't really had a chance to tell Sully about him. It had been a minute since they hung out.

"Do you think Kinley is coming out too or was just hanging with us?" He opened this one and it was pink it looked like it was going to taste better than the last one. "So do you think your parents are cool with this?" My mom seems to love me either way. She was looking through my history and...." He trailed off. He and his mom never really talked about it it was more like Her saying "I saw what you were looking at." And I was like "okay", and then she was like "okay." SO I think that means she's cool or happy to know I won't get anyone pregnant."

It was like just because they came to a pride event Levi was acting like it was okay to talk like this like they always talked like this. Maybe it was the booze maybe he was just tired of not speaking up about it, Hell it's a pride event!

[Sullivan Bennett]

There went his plan to ignore that it could mean different things. Sully grimaced a little as he took another swig from one of the little whiskey bottles. Kinley made it look easy to drink a whole bottle down but it was burning the fuck out of Sully's throat. He should have added the coke like Levi mentioned earlier. Wrinkling his nose and shaking his head out, he almost stumbled as Levi openly started talking about what likely brought them to the event in the first place. Sully cleared his throat.

"I mean... he's... a dancer?" Sully said, then made another face, this time at himself. That was such an un-woke thing to say. A guy could like dancing without being gay. Kinley didn't act particularly gay but again... there was no real force behind the stereotypes. Even the people here weren't all representative of the community as a whole. Some were just having a good time. And even if some did fall into the stereotype, it was none of his business.

"I think it's just Kinley's parents that would kill him," he said after a moment. "Mine don't care. They got enough kids and they're not obsessed with grandkids." Which reminded him--kids did--of Levi's earlier dip in mood. "Everything okay at home? With your brother?"

[Levi Yoon]

Yeah," He laughed, Kinley was really good at dancing it was crazy how is body moved so smoothly he had so much control over his body Levi could to the line dance they taught in middle school and that was about it.

"I see them getting mad but it's just the type of parents he has wanting to control everything their kids do." He had to laugh Sullivan did have a big family so I can see why his parents were in no rush for grandbabies speaking of babies Sully brought up Eli, "Yeah, It's all good at home he is getting into everything now that he can walk." This was his chance to vent about his worries and fears but he hides it and kept smiling. He didn't want to feel that way again, that's why he was drinking he wanted to feel happy.

Two bottles down and Levi's stomach was on fire from the alcohol. "Hey, I have money remember? Should we go eat first? And celebrate?" He had a little more pep in his step now that he was drinking and he was feeling better. It was like he forgot how to have fun he had been raising his brother for so long.

[Sullivan Bennett]

Sully waited for the bombshell--that Levi had to leave early for his little brother or that his brother was sick or something. Whatever cloud passed Levi earlier, though, it was gone now. Maybe it was the alcohol. Trying to shrug it off, Sully grinned and took another quick swig, followed by another grimace.

"Yeah, let's go to Arby's, man. I'm craving those fries like crazy. How about you?"

[Levi Yoon]

"I haven't had Arby's in like ages. Hell yeah, I want some Arby's fires." Levi walked close to Sully enjoying his company he needed time with his best friend it had been a long time since he could just hang out and have fun and be a kid. He was trying not to worry about Eli not because he didn't love him but because he loved him so much he forgot how to live his own life. He was sleeping in class and skipping gym class to sleep. When he was home he was on he feet chasing after his little brother and cleaning up after him and doing school work and cleaning more. He could get homework done when Eli napped and when he was playing he was cleaning well trying too.

Food sounded so much yummy right now while drinking at home he never had to really eat he would snack on cookies with his bother and fruit. but he himself didn't really eat. He lost a lot of weight since his dad left. He no longer had the glow in his face he was merely existing.

[Sullivan Bennett]

"Heh, see, this is why we're best friends," Sully said with a grin before giving his best friend a fist bump. Not just best friends, though. There was--not always, but recently--a little weird tension between himself and Levi lately. Sully used to brush it off as changes in their lives. Everything was changing. Levi's mom had his brother and then Levi got really busy all the time. Sully started to feel less liked and more lonely. It gave him too much time to think. And then there was the struggle. Sully was fine with his queerness. That didn't bother him. But he was always searching for hints that Levi might feel the same. Most of the time, he didn't think so.

See, Sully was always physically affectionate. Levi wasn't but he was with Sully. But that didn't mean a whole lot. At least, he told himself that. Kinley wasn't really touchy-feely, either and he didn't make exceptions for Sully the way Levi did. So maybe... but then he thought maybe not, especially when he realized that a relationship or anything like one was probably the last thing on Levi's mind.

When they arrived at Arby's and ordered, Sully sat across from Levi with a stupid grin on his face, toying with the receipt in his hand. "So... you were coming out today?"

[Levi Yoon]

"Because we both love good eats?" Levi cackling with laughter flowing out of him he was feeling all warm inside and he couldn't stop smiling. While they both walked they sipped the alcohol from the tiny bottles, by the time they were in Arby's Levi was really feeling it and he felt like everyone in there knew he and his friend were drunk and gay. But he didn't really care to be honest he was enjoying this moment he was living it up they were celebrating.

He partially fell into his seat giggling away while Sully grinned at him. "Yeah, I guess so. I didn't really know how I was going to but I guess this is how it went down." Levi closed his eyes for a moment and his head spun it felt like his eyes were shut for only a second but it might have been a little longer. He was taking in the way he was feeling,  what was this was it drunk euphoria?

Levi's eyes popped open when the tray was set down. "Fries!" His eyes were glossy and he was hungry his mouth watered smelling the fires. "Excuse me! Can I get Ranch? Please." He claps his hands together loudly his eye half shut nose and ears rosy red. Levi started to eat to fires before they got back with ranch they smelled so good he couldn't resist.

"What about you? Why now?" He asked boldly not expecting his best friend to say anything out of character.