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[byrned]

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[byrned]

[ But he doesn't get it out of his system. Weeks pass, and Matt does exactly as he said he would; he gets laid, quite a lot, with more women than he ever did before Sally. It's different now though, each time fuelled with alcohol, and rarely kind, rarely nice. In the pub with their friends he brags about it.

Luce pulls him aside one day, tries to tell him, but he doesn't listen. Blind to it, or simply too far gone. He doesn't listen to anyone.

He's starting to fail at uni too, his classes getting behind, if he bothers to turn up at them at all.

Another day, and it's all the same, Matt comes home (alone for once), but as drunk as ever. Something's got to give. ]

[cravating]

[Nate tries to ignore it, tries to give him time to grieve and get back to normal. But he doesn't. And Nate can't fucking live like this, can't let Matt destroy himself like he is. He talks to Lucy and tries to get her help but Matt won't listen to her.

It has to be him. He knows it does.]

Hey, mate. [He says, trying not to sound nervous about this.] Why don't you come have a seat. Feel like I never see you anymore.

[byrned]

I don't want a seat.

[ He mumbles the words out as he walks past him and heads right towards the kitchen to grab a bottle of anything he can find and pour far too much of it into a glass. He walks back in to look at him. ]

Yeah and we all know you want to see me don't you.

[cravating]

[He glances down and tries to remind himself that this is just Matt's way of dealing with pain. It's not personal.]

Really need to talk to you. About what's been going on around here.

[byrned]

What's been going on around here? [ He laughs ]. What's been going on around here then, Nathan? Go on, talk. I'm all fucking ears.

[cravating]

We're worried about you. Me, Luce, some of the others. You're turning into a real prick, honestly. It's not you, mate.

[byrned]

Oh fuck off. I am a prick. You've always said I'm a prick. At least when you weren't fantasising about sucking my dick. If you've got a problem with it then you can fuck off you know. I don't fucking need you.

[cravating]

Yeah, but you do. [Standing, he crosses the room to stand in front of him.]

You need me. You need someone to pull you back from the fucking edge or you're going to turn into something you fucking hate.

[His father. He won't say it flat out but...]

[byrned]

[ He might not be saying it, but it's close enough to make him bristle. He knows what that means, and it terrifies him more than just about everything. ]

Oh I need you, do I? [ He moves up closer to him, squaring up to him. ] And why do I need you? Why you of all people?

[ Because frankly it would be easier if he needed someone else. Someone like Sally, for example. ]

[cravating]

Because I'm the one who sees you, aren't I?

[He says it, wishing he could treat him with a softer hand but knows that he can't. Matt needs to be drag back to being himself.]

I always see you. And right now, I don't like what I see.

[byrned]

Oh fuck off, Nathan. You don't see me. You know fuck all about me. You think we've got this thing? Well we've got nothing. So I don't care what you see. I don't. I'm not your fucking boyfriend, Nate.

[cravating]

You don't need to be my fucking boyfriend for me to care about you. [His voice raises a little, getting more heated.]

And what about all those girls, huh? One after another. I bet you don't remember what half of them look like. That's the man you want to be? Huh?

[byrned]

What the fuck do you know about what I want? Go on, you tell me what I want you're so much of a fucking expert. [ His voice raises, louder. ]

And so what I'm getting laid. You jealous or something?

[cravating]

I'm not jealous of anything. I get laid plenty, thanks. But you're the one who gave me shit for not remembering a guys name. When we took that trip, remember?

[byrned]

[ Of course he remembers the trip. Of course he does. Remembers things that complicated everything and fucked it all up. It was the first time he had that stupid dream. But not the last. The first time he really thought about it, what it would be like to do all those things with him. ]

I remember names. What do you want them written down? I just think you're jealous because I'm making people come that aren't you.

[cravating]

I'm not fucking jealous Matt. [He is sometimes. But it's less jealousy and more just hurt.]

I'm just trying to help. Just let me help.

[byrned]

Then help. Go on then, genius. You help me. [ He squares up to him closer and puts a hand against his chest, shoving him back. ]

You really want to help me, Nate? That what you want?

[cravating]

[He stumbles back a step when Matt pushes him but he doesn't back down.]

Yeah, I want to help. Really do.

[byrned]

And what else do you want? [ He moves up to him further still, in his space, his breath thick with the smell of the whisky. He drops his voice as he looks over him. ]

You want this, don't you? [ He gestures to himself. ] Wouldn't be so bad if it was you I was fucking, right? What about if I turned you round and fucked you right here, you'd like that, wouldn't you.

[cravating]

Matt... [This feels different than other times he's joked about it. He glances down, shaking his head.]

Don't be like this.

[byrned]

Be like this? Come on, we know this is what you want. What if I wanted it too? What would you do then? If I wanted you to get on your knees and suck my dick. How about then, Nate?

[cravating]

You're not funny, Matt. I'm honestly trying to help you here.

[byrned]

I mean it.[ His voice drops, a husky whisper, head dropped a little, face close ]. What if I kissed you. What would you do then?

[cravating]

You're drunk. [But god it sounds nice when he talks low like that. He can even try to ignore the stench of whiskey on his breath and pretend it's not the drink talking.]

[byrned]

Yeah I'm drunk. And I'm horny. And I want to kiss you. You got a problem with that? [ He's closer still, voice still low and his hand reaches up to Nate's face, holding it and turning his gaze towards him. ]

You don't want that?