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[hr][right][sub]Location: Coven Household[/sub][/right]
[right][sup]Time: 7:20PM[/sup][/right]
[right][sup]A Colab between [color=00FFFF]Carlisle[/color] [@Hedgehawk] & [color=DC143C]Miles[/color] [@SouffleGirl123][/sup][/right][hr]
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A few hours had passed and now the Party was ready to go. People were arriving, the music was as Carlisle tried to explain to everyone 'Lit' and the drink seemed to be flowing. It felt nice to have a brief distraction from the thoughts of the barrier and the things they had discovered in the forest. Carlisle had taken to drinking out on the veranda. While he was happy to blast out music for others. He wasn't quite the fan of it himself. Out here, he could feel the evening air press against his skin, enjoy a nice refreshing drink and watch as the sun began its descent. 

What he didn't tell anyone was that he wasn't drinking alcohol at the moment. While he was certainly holding a wine glass, he had poured apple and blackcurrant squash in there and used some red food colouring to give it a darker appearance. After college parties with Miles he certainly couldn't be doing with another keg incident, Death by drowning in college beer wasn't exactly how Carlisle had planned to go. 

He was keeping an eye out, looking into the party crowd to see who was around. He was looking for a couple of people in particular. He needed to get some things off his chest before he really let himself down and party. His session of introspection earlier had meant that he had a set of apologies he needed to do. 

Miles rocked up to the Coven house a little after 7:15 sporting a clean set of casual black clothes. He couldn't help but chuckle at the somewhat orderly squares of drinks and snacks. Knowing Carlisle, they were probably perfect squares before people started piling in. He picked up a beer and made some small talk around the room.

Once Miles had downed his first beer he poured himself an eyeballed double shot of whiskey and coke into a red solo cup. Miles was so ready for shots, maybe even a keg stand like the good old days, but he came to the conclusion he should probably check in with his friend real quick before the other temptations of the night took him. 

As he meandered to the veranda he couldn't help the wave of nostalgia rushing over him. It felt just like college all over again; Miles would take Carlisle to a party he didn't really want to go to, the man would find a quiet, lonesome place after an hour or two then disappear to their dorm room. Only day one and this veranda seemed to already be forming many memories for Miles. 

[color=DC143C]"Man, didn't even make an hour, you're slipping,"[/color] he jokes, standing at the rails. He takes a swig of his drink. [color=DC143C]"Guessing that's juice in that glass too, then?"[/color] he asks, trying the best he can not to come across as mocking. Although Miles didn't really get why someone would go to a party and willingly [i]not[/i] drink Carlisle could do whatever he wanted.

[color=00FFFF]"I was planning on going in later. I just wanted time to myself. To think. Mostly. Trying to stay calm, having alcohol might make that a little bit too hard"[/color] While Miles might not have attempted to be mocking, the comment did sting Carlisle somewhat. Lest Miles forget that it was him who had subjugated Carlisle to those ordeals. It felt a little bit rich. Still. Maybe Carlisle deserved it. [color=00FFFF]"Look while I got you here, and before you go and get more drunk, I want to say something"[/color] Oh boy. This was it. Carlisle took a deep breath before he began to get things off his chest. 

[color=00FFFF]"I am really sorry for being a douche over the years. Today made me realise just how much I have taken what you have done for me for granted. You were friends with me, even when others mocked you for it. And all I did was berate you for going to parties and all the girls and moaning about having to make sure you got home okay."[/color] Carlisle shook his head. Even saying it out loud made him want to scream. How had he not seen this before. [color=00FFFF]"And then today. You spend most of your day spending your time following me to try and keep my calm. And then I go and say 'Hey, thanks for helping me, fancy fixing more of my problems' dude. I just suck at being a good friend"[/color]

Miles looked at his friend incredulously for a moment as he processed what Carlisle had to say. His brows furrowed as he took another swig of his drink. Sure, Carlisle was far from the perfect friend but in all honesty, who wasn't? And of [i]course[/i] he knew about what people said to Miles about him. All the same though, Miles knew just as many people had begged Car to drop him. [color=DC143C]"Bro, it's fine, no better way to assert dominance than handing out punches to those putting down your best friend,"[/color] he half jokes, taking another sip from his solo cup.

Miles stays silent for a moment, looking into the sunset. He was never really one for introspection but even Miles knew that he had done wrong to Carlisle before also. [color=DC143C]"Look, Car, you're fine. Really. I suppose I haven't been the best of friends either. I mean, who makes their friend sit out in the hallway almost weekly? You still stuck around, when I was drunk, when I brought girls into the dorm, when your family tried to separate us, you stuck around. That is already more than almost anyone else was ever willing to do for me,"[/color]

[color=00FFFF]"Nah, I deserved that. I should have been looking after you instead of babying you. Thanks for understanding me. I hope that going forward I can be a somewhat better friend"[/color] Carlisle said, taking a stiff drink from his 'wine' 

Miles gave a small chuckle [color=DC143C]"I think we'll be fine,"[/color] he says, eyes not leaving the sunset for a while. The pair sat in silence for a while before Miles spoke up again. [color=DC143C]"Hey, I'm sorry about Lil, man. Rejection sucks,"[/color]

[color=00FFFF]"Officially, I never actually asked her. So I guess I haven't been rejected yet"[/color] While the words he muttered were hopeful, his tone was not. [color=00FFFF]"To be honest, I deserve it. I have been a terrible friend and why would she even want to contemplate me as a boyfriend when I can't even be a decent best friend"[/color] A deep sigh escaped his lips. 

[color=DC143C]"Carlisle,"[/color] Miles sighs, turning to his friend. [color=DC143C]"You can't keep pitying yourself like this, you're begging for bad outcomes this way. You messed up, that sucks but if you keep pitying yourself you're screaming to keep failing."[/color] Miles went quiet for a while more, debating what he was going to say next. He inhaled sharply, he had no claim to Lilith, she could be with whoever she wanted and if that was Carlisle, good for them. [color=DC143C]"She likes black dahlias,"[/color] he says simply. Miles was never a big buyer of flowers, all the same Lilith wasn't one to really care for them a lot but he was sure that flowers was Carlisle's style. He surprised himself with how much he remembered of Lilith's preferences after all this time, as if that knowledge was just waiting for a time like this.

[color=00FFFF]"Thanks for that. I will have to remember. I thought she liked roses. But hey. Shows how badly I actually know her."[/color] Carlisle gave a nervous chuckle before he continued [color=00FFFF]"I am not pitying myself. Just being a little more honest with myself. Forcing myself to be calm has made me think a little bit about my actions. I am not saying I can change everything. But I at least have some awareness of what my actions cause. Though if I have to be honest with myself, getting cursed because you ignored your best friends advice"[/color]

Miles shrugged [color=DC143C]"She's not big on flowers anyway, there's a lot of more important things to know about her that I'm sure you do,"[/color] He finishes his drink with a long gulp. [color=DC143C]"Well, I'm gonna head back in and enjoy the party but I guess I'll see you when you join us,"[/color] he says. And with that he leaves Carlisle on his lonesome on the veranda.
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