It was more people than Emmett cared for. If he'd known beforehand he would have ducked out for sure. Edan managed to be a more stoic presence in a group than he would have expected, though. Holding his hand under the table helped him feel grounded.

They'd settled on some Japanese restaurant, more bar than authentic, and their group was stuffed into a cramped private room. It was basically a walled in table and benches, probably to shut out their noise.

Edan must have noticed Emmett's hesitance with the menu. "Get whatever you want. I'll treat you. Nyala picked the place and she forgets not everyone works as much as she does." He directed that last line to the other end of the table, earning the middle finger from a gorgeous African girl.

"It's not that I work more it's that I earn more." She cast back across, drawing 'ooo's and giggles from the other girls. "I'll make it up to you. I'll get shots for the whole table." That drew cheers and discussion and her attention was quickly swept away.

"I don't ever eat stuff like this." Emmett said with a frown when Edan looked back towards him.

"That's cause you're always eating junk food."

Emmett told himself that it was the crowd making him agitated. "Like you said, some of us work more than others. Can you recommend something for me?"

They settled for splitting an overpriced plate of chicken and rice and a mixed platter of sushi. Edan also got himself a couple beers and Emmett some mixed drink pictured on the menu. The shots arrived at the table first. Emmett sniffed at it doubtfully but the thought of dealing with this group unassisted made him knock back the drink in one gulp.

"Ugh." An involuntary shiver twisted his shoulders. "That was disgusting."

Edan followed suit, and even he couldn't keep from scowling at the taste. "It just needs to get the job done, right? Pace yourself though, there'll be more on the way before the night is done."

He wasn't wrong. Food and drink came steadily to the table along with a couple more shots in quick succession. He took two but waved a refusal when the offer went around the table again. His own drink tasted better and didn't feel like such a punch to the throat.

The shots must have been stronger than he was used to. He tried to balance the drinks with food but his head felt like it was filling with clouds and he caught himself leaning on Edan's shoulder more than he meant to.

"When did you order that?" Emmett eyed the newest bowl in front of him with suspicion.

"When I got here. It’s not… yours, you know?."

Emmett turned a look of confusion to his side only to find that he'd been leaning on some other guy he didn't know.

"Oh, sorry."

He definitely hadn’t been sitting there when Emmett first sat down. He stood out among the models by looking entirely too plain, with close cropped brown hair and glasses. There was something charming about his shy smile and wave, or it was all of the booze in Emmett.

Edan dragged Emmett back into the table’s conversation by the chin. “Don’t let this pretty face and quiet demeanor fool you. He’s completely insatiable in bed.”

“What are you telling people about me?” Emmett leaned away from Edan’s grip to fix him with a hard stare, or, something that felt hard anyway.

“It’s just easy gossip Doll. The first thing anyone wants to know about anyone in this group is your sexual exploits.”

“Don’t forget to tell them that you keep me satisfied despite all that.” He didn't need people thinking he was going to run around stealing boyfriends.

“I would but it’s boring talk.” Edan leaned close again to press a kiss against Emmett’s jaw, nipping gently. Emmett found himself laughing. Edan’s breath said he'd been helping himself to more drinks. The conversation was embarrassing but Emmett couldn’t deny enjoying the show of possession so clearly on display. He sipped again at his own drink, feeling his face warm over.

“What’s boring is hearing someone brag over their lover.” Nyala spoke up. She was sitting across from them now. Apparently more than a few people had switched seats while his attention was elsewhere. “Tell us yourself, the most shameless thing you’ve ever done.”

Emmett didn't like the mischievous look in her eyes. “Shit, I’m supposed to think of something right on the spot?”

“You’re not supposed to think, you’re just supposed to answer. You’ve gotta already know what it is. Don’t make it up, we’ll know.” Edan was growling against Emmett’s ear, making his skin tingle. He folded his arms over his lap, making sure no one spotted any other effects Edan’s actions were having on him.

“Stop it, ok, ok. I think I have one that will satisfy everyone. It was in high school.” That fact alone drew some nods and approving murmurs. “I was failing my math class so I told my teacher I’d make out with him if he’d give me a higher grade.”

That got some laughter and even some clapping. Edan spoke again. “Oh, let me guess. He gave you a ‘D’ for the effort.”

“Actually, it was a ‘C’, cause I sat on his lap while I did it.” That drew even more raucous noise. “He wasn’t even any good at it. Felt like I was kissing a mannequin the whole time.”

Edan laughed again and Emmett found himself charmed by the sound. “That’s what I’ll do the next time we kiss. Just hold completely still for you.”

“As if you could. Don’t get me wrong though. I actually like nervous kissers. They try so hard to please you even when they don't know what they're doing."

"Sounds like you were kissing more than teachers back in high school."

"There's a reason I was failing my classes." Emmett said, resting his head on Edan's shoulder, feeling wistful and weary. And a reason so many boys got mono senior year.

Nyala's voice rose over the noise of the table again. "Alright, next victim. Jonas, was it?"

"Hey, shouldn't this game just be for models? Leave your lighting technicians out of it."

The voice came from next to Emmett. He peeked open an eye to see that Glasses Boy was red faced as he tried to wave off Nyala's question. Emmett reached over to pluck at the guy's shirt. "You're at the table, you have to play."

That brief moment where Jonas met Emmett's eyes only seemed to make him more red. "I don't have anything interesting to share."

"Oh, come on. You're a guy." Nyala chimed in again. "You must of at least jacked it somewhere inappropriate, right? You work around models all day."

"Fine, yeah, I get boners during nude shoots, same as everyone else."

Nyala let out a frustrated sigh. "No one invite this guy next time, he's boring."

She began to talk to someone else but Emmett wasn’t ready to let it go yet. He grinned as he realized. "You're a virgin, aren't you?"

Jonas’ reaction said everything he didn't want to. His face went white and then an even brighter shade of red. “Wait, no, I-”

Caught you.

The table erupted at this news. A dozen questions and offers flew in the guy’s direction. Jonas looked like he wanted to be anywhere else and Emmett felt a little guilty over it. The chatter quickly got to be too much.

He leaned into Edan’s ear. “I’m going out for a smoke.”

Edan dropped a kiss on his cheek. “I’m gonna pay here in a sec so I’ll meet you out there.”

That was a relief. Emmett stumbled his way through the restaurant, taking a little longer to find the front door than he would have liked. He was practiced enough with his lighter that he at least got the cigarette burning in his mouth without much difficulty.

It was surprisingly quiet outside. The sky was fully dark now and Emmett had no idea what time it was. Maybe still early, maybe ridiculously late, either way he was tired. It was a good thing there was a wall to lean against or he would have fallen to the ground.

His attention was drawn back to the door as it opened with a rush of sound that was just as quickly snuffed out. Emmett smiled, not because it was Edan, but because it seemed Glasses Boy had escaped his torment. “Jooonaas. Join me for a smoke? If you’ve never done it before you can cross it off your list.” Emmett couldn’t see the guy’s expression in the darkness but he came to Emmett's side anyway. “Do you want your own or do you just want to finish mine?”

“I’ll take yours.”

Emmett handed the cigarette over and lit up another one for himself. He watched Jonas closely but was quickly taken by surprise. It was obvious, from the way Jonas held the cigarette, to how he blew the smoke up into the night sky. “You’ve done this one before, haven’t you?”

“Sorry, I’m not new to everything.”

“Well now I’m disappointed. I thought I was going to steal away one of your firsts.”

“It was my first time being embarrassed at a table with so many people.” Jonas offered.

“Funny, but not fun.”

“My first time being mistaken for another guy’s boyfriend?”

Not good enough... but a thought came to mind. He grabbed Jonas by the collar, spinning his back securely up against the wall. He had to bend down a lot to look the guy directly in the eyes. Emmett grinned as a look of panic crossed Jonas’ face, his glasses knocked eschew. “Ever been kissed?”

Jonas didn’t have to answer. The shaky breath that hit Emmett’s lips told him the truth of it. It reminded him of high school and those few hopefuls who had come to beg for experience.

He’d only done this to tease him. How funny it would be to lean back and leave him unsatisfied. That’d been his intention, but his mouth was already on Jonas and the way the guy melted under his kiss didn’t exactly make him want to stop. It was cute.

The hot sting of ashes on his hand forced them apart. “Shit.” Emmett breathed. It was the burn and also that delectably pathetic look in Jonas’ eyes that made him say it.

“Emmett.”

Emmett spun. Too fast. His head kept spinning and he had to brace himself against the wall to keep from stumbling over. Edan was only half a dozen feet away, his hands in his pockets as he leaned back on his hip. “Edan?” Shadows obscured most of his face but Emmett could see a grin splitting his features.

“I got us a cab. You ready to go?”