3 Years

85 - Sober

Across town, a similar setting was happening to the girls' night. Well, somewhat; the only difference was that this was in public. After going to three or four bars, four of the five men were absolutely hammered.

Carlos and Seb would constantly find a way to touch each other, Ricky often having to remind them that they were in public. Big Red wasn't too bad; he just would not stay in one place for more than five seconds. He also had to monitor EJ since the man still drank as if his body was college age, which Ricky knew would not be a good idea in the morning or in the future; he had to wrestle with EJ over putting a seatbelt on too.

Eventually, they all made it to Big Red's house in one piece, which was incredibly shocking. Seb and Carlos ended up crashing on the couch together, taking up the whole space; EJ collapsed on the floor; and Big Red fell asleep in one of the chairs with half of a can of coke in his hand.

Ricky didn't know if the other three needed to head home or if he could just leave them scattered around the living room. Well, until he remembered that they have children, so he assumed he would have to take them home eventually.

He walked around the house for a minute, giving himself a tour to relax. He assumed Ashlyn was the one who decorated the place; around every corner was a photo of some kind whether it was of Big Red and Ashlyn, the gang, or relatives.

He found a board of some kind right outside the kitchen that had Redonovich in red letters across the top. Ricky chortled to himself; I wonder if the red was on purpose. He closely examined the photos posted, realizing they were representing a timeline. At the top were baby pictures of Ashlyn and Big Red, and as they went down the board, they would show the two through the years up until their wedding day, a picture of the pair in between the two columns at the bottom.

Ricky looked at the wedding photo sadly, wishing he could have been there. After wallowing in the self-guilt for a moment, Ricky went back into the living room, keeping his laughter quiet from the scene in front of him. He slowly sat down in the other chair and just surveyed the mess of people.

He figured it wouldn't hurt anything if he relaxed for a minute. He set a timer for an hour and figured he could take Carlos, Seb, and EJ home after a quick break.

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After the quick power nap, Ricky's phone was buzzing in his pocket. He groaned as he realized it meant that he had to get up. He was actually quite surprised by how comfortable the chair had been.

He shuts off the timer and stretches when he stands, preparing to deal with taking them home. He debates over who he should wake up first. Who would be the least cranky? Hell, they're not waking up until tomorrow.

He nudges EJ's shoulder a few times, only to get no response. Great, I'm gonna have to carry him. Ricky goes outside first to unlock the car door and open it. Fortunately, EJ stayed asleep the whole time, which was slightly expected. After getting him in, it was the couple's turn; they also remained asleep for however long it takes to walk from the living room to his car in the driveway.

The rides home were easy because they were somehow still asleep, but getting them to their rooms was difficult. Ricky doesn't remember how long he was working for, but he definitely knew that he was going to sleep well and that he was exhausted. He sent out a text to each of them explaining what had happened and how they ended the night in their own homes.

He finally pulled into his apartment building parking lot, glad to finally be able to rest in an actual bed. He slowly snuck into the apartment, desperate to not wake anyone up; Noah and Nia were both light sleepers, which did not work in his favor... ever.