mutuality | wroetoshaw

six

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19TH, 2022

"You're sure he likes Vodka this much?" I ask Kon, carrying a gift bag with a large bottle of vodka inside. Harry had insisted on no presents, but I didn't enjoy the thought of turning up to his birthday party without getting him something.

"Positive. The guy will down any type of alcohol anyway, but I do know for sure that he likes vodka," he reassures me, probably for like the seventh time on the way here. 

"Besides, if he doesn't like it, I'll drink it," Kirsty pipes up, as she had travelled with us. Kon had asked Harry if he could bring her too, and along with all the other guys he had been very interested in meeting the girl who had managed to capture Kon's interest.

"I'm aware you will, that's why I'm worried," I tell her sarcastically, knocking on the door to the house that Harry had given us the address of. To my knowledge, he had rented it out for the party specifically. It also made sense why it was on its own on the outskirts of London. Bearing in mind, he lived in an apartment surrounded by other apartments so a party stretching into the early hours of the morning probably wasn't a great idea to do at home. 

"Nah, no need for you to be worried. You, however..." she says, glancing towards Kon, who just sighs exasperatedly. "You should be worried. I told you I'm an awful drunk," she grins.

"Yeah, and if you remember correctly, I said I'm great at helping drunk people, aren't I 'Tilda?"

I have to give it to him, he's not even lying. Every single time me and him have gone out together, he's always looked after me, whether I want him to or not. And that includes him being both sober and drunk.

"It's true. He is," I confirm, and she looks happy enough at that.

"Well, yeah, I know, you literally put it in your dating profile," she laughs, and I don't think she knows that this is new information to me. 

"You put that in your dating profile?" I repeat, slowly turning around to stare at Kon, very happy for this new information to use against him. 

"Ah. I take it he didn't tell you that part," Kirsty butts in, laughing nervously. She knocks on the door again, clearly as a distraction technique, but it works as the door starts to open. It's Harry on the other side, a beer in his hand.

"Welcome! You must be Kirsty - am I right?" He asks, continuing as she nods her head. "Welcome. We've heard a bit about you already!" 

Kirsty turns back round to look at Kon, one eyebrow raised as if to say Oh, really?

The two of them walk into the house, leaving me a little bit behind, Harry still lingering by the door. His gaze drops to my hand, where I'm still gripping on tight to that stupid gift bag.

"I...uh, I know you said no presents but I felt rude not bringing one. It's nothing big, I promise," I stammer, suddenly feeling very awkward about the whole thing.

"I did say no presents, that's true...but that looks like a bottle of alcohol of some sort, so it's not like I'm going to complain, is it?" He asks wryly, beckoning me to come inside. Instantly he puts me at ease, and I feel a lot better about handing off the present to him. 

He perches his beer on top of a thin glass table, which I can foresee being an absolute nightmare, so I pick it up and hold it myself whilst he opens the bag, pulling out the bottle of vodka. 

"Epic," he grins, looking at it. "This'll be devoured tonight. Come on, I'll pour us both a drink in the kitchen," he says, probably not even noticing that I've still gotten a hold of his beer. I follow him through the house, which looks very rich, and into the kitchen which is full of people.