At around eight o'clock at night, the Sharehouse members were putting the finishing touches on hair for the guys and makeup for the girls. The nights were still cold in their corner of LA, but that didn't stop the girls from leg-revealing dresses and shorts. Gain was borrowing one of Heechul's suit jackets. It was big on her, but she liked the dark red color. Jia, wanting to be able to move on her nearly healed ankle, opted for shorts and a plain t-shirt. Victoria had followed Gain in raiding Heechul's closet. She'd taken one of his plaid shirts and was wearing it to show her midriff, the two ends tied together. The guys had gone for plain, black pants and v-necks between them. Simon in white, Heechul in red and Leeteuk a black v-neck.

Leeteuk had agreed to be the designated driver. He still wasn't comfortable around alcohol after how he'd treated Heechul last time. He shrugged on a leather jacket and checked the time from his white-banded watch. "We ready?" He asked the house.

A few nods came his direction as jackets were donned and Simon opened the door to lead the way to the car. They got the party started early, singing their favorite songs along the way to the noraebang.

Simon almost suggested they just go to a club instead, but then he thought of Heechul. Heechul had met the abusive boyfriend at a dance club. He'd never agree to go to one again, even with Leeteuk and him around. Ah well, at least they were getting out of the house all together.

Gain had been to a noraebang with Heechul. Back before he’d talked Simon into moving in and Leeteuk too. Heechul was a big drinker, he could handle his alcohol well, but he used it as an excuse to let loose. After the first few shots he would get louder and sillier. Gain couldn’t wait to see how much fun they’d all have.

Finding a place to park in the packed lot of the noraebang, Leeteuk smiled at Heechul. The others were already getting out of the car and Heechul leaned over to kiss him softly. “You look really good tonight,” Heechul said, pulling back to get out of the car. Leeteuk grinned as he got out to follow him. He rested his hands on Heechul’s hips, keeping close behind as Simon led them to their room.

“What are we drinking?” Simon asked, gathering what everyone wanted before ordering it into the room.

The girls were the first to grab the songbook, ignoring the guys. Simon took one look at how close Heechul and Leeteuk were and decided to join in with the girls. Leeteuk kissed Heechul’s cheek and pulled him over to sit on the long couch in the room. Heechul smiled and cuddled against Leeteuk, kissing his cheek too.

“What kind of songs do you like to sing at these?” Heechul asked him.

“Anything. I think it’s fun to sing too high for myself, or try rock songs.” Leeteuk chuckled.

“I love yelling along with rock songs.” Heechul grinned.

“Heechul?” Gain called over. “Do a song with me to get the night started?”

Heechul nodded and sat up. “Which did you have in mind?”

“Something Stupid?” Gain said.

Laughing softly, Heechul nodded. “Let’s do it.”

Gain queued up the Sinatra song and Heechul got up to join her. She handed him a mic and leaned against him as he wrapped his arm around her waist. They sang softly together, not caring when a waitress came in with a tray of drinks.

Leeteuk smiled at them, swaying along with the song as the others started taking shots. He liked the way that Gain and Heechul were so close and comfortable with each other. If he didn’t know better, Leeteuk would say that Gain was the one Heechul had spent his whole childhood with, not Simon. There was just something in their personalities that meshed. Leeteuk was only slightly jealous as he watched, wishing he had a friend that close to him.

When the instrumental in the middle of the song played, Heechul took Gain’s hands and danced with her. He spun her in a circle before they sang the end of the song together. With the last ‘I love you’ in the verse, Heechul kissed Gain’s cheek and grinned as he moved to sit with Leeteuk again. Leeteuk wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and snuck a kiss before Heechul could pull away for his drink.

Simon got up next, taking Jia with him. He handed her a mic but she refused him. Simon just shrugged and picked a song that he could sing while she danced. “I’m not going to let you sit in silence the whole night,” he said to Jia.

They all laughed as Outkast’s Hey Ya started playing. Simon didn’t miss a beat with the words and Jia relaxed enough to dance with him.

Victoria jumped up next for a Party In The USA. The whole room sang with her, throwing their hands up between drinks.

The more alcohol Jia downed, the less of a stutter she had until finally she was drunk enough to not have one. Gain got a funny idea and made her way to Heechul, who was taking advantage of his closeness with Teuk to sneak him kisses. “Will you do a girl song with me and the other two girls?” Gain asked him.

“Yes,” Heechul grinned. “Can we do something like ‘Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me’?” He sang at her, laughing.

“Yeah, only I was thinking,” she leaned to whisper the rest of her sentence against his ear.

“Oh, I love you,” Heechul said with a laugh and got up from his place next to Leeteuk.

Gain was laughing as she held his hand, bringing him to the front of the room. She passed a microphone to him, getting Jia and Vic up too. Whispering to the other girls, Gain explained her plan. They all agreed and she played Lady Marmalade.

Pushing Jia up to sing first, they were giving her Mya’s part of the song. She laughed a little nervously before singing, and not a single stutter troubled her. Jia stepped back when she finished, laughing at Heechul and Gain who were dancing terribly together, pretending to be y. Victoria took the next singing part, over playing the y role too as she made her voice huskier than usual. When Heechul was up, he shoved Victoria aside with a push of his hips against hers. Vic laughed and danced with the other girls as Heechul rapped Lil’ Kim’s part, making gestures at Leeteuk.

Bursting into giggles, the singers tried to keep it together as they sang their harmonies, working up to Gain singing Christina Aguilera’s part. The laughter continued as they finished with random a capella, Heechul making it a point to sing out of key.

Simon and Leeteuk clapped between their laughter as the song ended. The girls and Heechul bowed and made their way back to their seats. “I’ll sleep with you tonight,” Leeteuk teased in a whisper against Heechul’s ear. Heechul laughed and nudged Leeteuk over with his shoulder.

Up next to sing was Simon, he picked to rap along with Eminem. The girls got excited over how well he could rap. Heechul just grinned at them, fawning over his friend.

A couple drinks later and none of them could stand up straight, let alone sing correctly. Leeteuk was laughing at Vic and Gain doing a Spice Girls song when he checked his watch. “One more song and we should head out. You bunch of drunks,” Leeteuk teased. Heechul was practically asleep against him, slowed by all the alcohol.

Jia got up for the last song, picking ‘Save the Best for Last.’ She got the room swaying along with her as she sang, matching the soulfulness of the song. Clapping excitedly when she finished, the other girls and Heechul got up for hugs.

Leeteuk checked around the room to make sure they had everything they’d brought with them. He steered his drunk party toward the correct doors and out into the sobering night air.

“We should go find a park to play in.” Victoria said, lifting her arms over her head and spinning in circles toward the car.

Leeteuk laughed at her, shaking his head. “Maybe we’ll do that for Sunday. If you all aren’t hung over by then.” Leeteuk could only imagine the amounts of aspirin he’d be handing out in the morning.

Simon caught Victoria’s waist before she could run into the car with her circle turning. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him. The rest of the sharehouse stared in shock as she did, waiting for Simon’s reaction.

He pushed her back, shaking his head. “I’m not that in to you Vic.” Simon said. “Besides, you taste like an alcoholic,” he teased and opened the door for her to get in the car.

Slapping his chest playfully, Victoria got into the car. Heechul caught Simon’s eye, giving him a look to say he felt his pain. Simon grinned and winked at him.

Getting everyone into the car, Leeteuk pulled out of the parking lot. “How about some food, guys?” Leeteuk asked. “My treat,” he added.

“Oh, let’s go to gay Denny’s,” Gain said.

“Gay Denny’s?” Leeteuk asked.

Heechul chuckled. “It’s a specific Denny’s downtown. All the partiers go there after clubs. It’s usually filled with talkative gay guys. Gain loves it.”

“It’s where she met Kwon,” Simon teased.

Gain punched his arm hard and he collapsed into giggles against her shoulder. She couldn’t help but laugh along with him, hugging him tightly.

With Heechul giving directions, Leeteuk found the right place and parked. Vic and Jia were practically asleep against each other, but the mention of food got them moving.

The restaurant was crowded with chattering gay guys and excitable girls. They could see that most of them had been out all night, once perfect hair and makeup now smudged. Leeteuk followed behind the waitress, leading his group to the booth in the back by the window.

Knowing the secret grease remedy for hangovers, Heechul suggested what they should all get. The waitress took the orders and Leeteuk added on as much water as would fit on the table.

Heechul was the first one sobering up, Simon was along with him. They both hadn’t had much to drink, just a couple of shots to loosen up with. It had been the girls that took drinking seriously.

“You remember, Heechul,” Gain asked. “That one night we came here after a club and there was this gay guy that would not leave our table. He just wanted to sit and talk the whole night?”

Nodding, Heechul grinned. “He was so drunk and just kept talking about the craziest things. Stories about parties he’d been to where people were dressed in animal costumes.”

“I think he just wanted you to take him home.” Gain teased. “You’re always so pretty.”

“Yah,” Heechul laughed. “I’m not pretty. Good-looking, sure. But not pretty.”

They thanked the waitress as she brought out their food. The girls sobered a little more now that they had something to do.

“Why don’t you go to clubs anymore?” Leeteuk asked.

“I’m scared of them,” Heechul replied honestly, taking a big bite of food.

“Why?”

Gain caught Leeteuk’s eye and shook her head, looking at Heechul again.

Heechul swallowed his bite. “Because everyone I’ve met there has ended up being really horrible to me.”

The next few bites of food were eaten in silence.

“Oh, Heechul,” Simon said. “I got a call from Donghae. He’ll be in town soon, wanted to know if we can hang out.”

“Yeah, any time if it’s Donghae,” Heechul smiled.

“Who’s that?” Leeteuk and Gain asked at nearly the same time.

“Donghae’s an old high school buddy,” Simon explained. “He travels a lot for business, so when he’s around, Heechul and me like to spend at least a day with him.”

They nodded and went back to eating.

Jia piped up. “Do we have any plans for next weekend?” She asked, her stutter still suppressed by the lingering alcohol.

Heechul shook his head, looking around at the others. Everyone pretty much had nothing.

“Can we maybe watch movies or something then? Maybe another barbecue, or beach something?” Jia offered with a smile.

Heechul smiled. “Sounds great to me.”

There were general nods of approval and Jia turned to Gain. “And, I know it’s asking a lot. But Gain, will you help me with my stutter? I like this me more. And I can’t always be drinking or getting high for it.”

Gain laughed and hugged her tightly. “I thought you’d never ask. Of course I’ll help you.”

Jia hugged back tightly and smiled. “Thank you.”

Heechul smiled, watching them. He wondered how Gain’s agreement would further affect her relationship with JoKwon. They’d all just have to wait and see.

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A/N: As I'm sure you've noticed, updates are coming along slower. Life is hectic right now, probably will be until mid-june. For the forseeable future, I'm probably only going to update on the weekends. Thank you for your patience, love and comments <3