another day • wroetostar

I

"I want to stay an extra day."  Vik whispered into Tobi's ear like it was a damning secret. He was tipsy, clinging onto Tobi's arm as they made their way back to the group's table from the toilets.

Tobi smiled down at him. Vik was a clingy drunk, but always pleasant, especially with Tobi. His body was swaying in time to the music surrounding them, despite how quiet it was. He always had an inclination to find the beat. It was a part of him, after all, the nights spent in a club with the DJ's of the world changing the composition of his blood.

It was 10pm and it was clear the night was close to being over. The Sidemen & Co. were at a bar, two of days shooting in Belgium in January had worn them all out so they had chosen a gentle night for the last one of the trip. They were returning to London early the next morning, and nobody was thrilled at the idea of enduring it with a dreadful hangover.

"You sure about that Vikster?" Tobi replied to Vik's whisper, laughing and poking him in the side causing Vik to squirm in response. "Earlier you were talking non-stop about how much you want to get done in this next week."

"Yeah.... But..." Vik drawled his words out long and slow, his tone rising and falling with the hand gestures that accompanied them. "It's nice here. It's warm, in a cosy way. And I haven't seen you all in so long, especially Harry. Harold!"

They had almost returned back to the table, and Vik had noticed that Harry was watching them. The gentle smile Harry sported had broken into a cheesy grin at Vik's words, and he laughed lightly as slumped into the chair next to him like a ragdoll. "Hey Bog. I haven't seen you in a while."

It was true. December is a long month, people often forget. To most it seems that January is the slog, but when the love you hold most deeply is found outside of the family circle, the days until the first Monday of the New Year can stretch long and thin.

"Neither have I Vik, neither have I." Harry was bordering tipsy too, Tobi noted. Never as much as Vik, but the telltale signs that his inhibitions were lowering were staring to appear- the way his awkwardness was dissipating, and the disappearance of any apology after a badly timed joke.

Tobi drew his eyes away from the two, it being clear that from now on he would only be serving as a third wheel. Looking around, it seemed everyone else was in the midst of packing up to go. The crew were wandering around collecting an assortment of cameras and microphones and wires, Josh muttering lowly on the phone in the corner whilst Simon and Kon looked to be in a serious conversation. That did exclude Ethan and Jon, he noted, as their brash voices began to raise dangerously. With a sigh, he resolved to ensure no shenanigans ensued.

As he left he caught a voice. "Surely you understand. You understand what I mean. You understand when I say 'I miss you'?"

Tobi wondered if they did understand. He knew that he did.