TW: ist and homophobic bullying

~~~~~~~~~~

It was Saturday. Thank ing god it was Saturday. No class, no campus, no work, no Neo Culture Technology. Just Ten, satisfied from last night's hook-up, ready to get absolutely wasted with his best friends (and possibly hook up with someone again). 

The first stop on a night out with his besties was always Action Figure Bar and Grill. Not because it was a good place to party, in fact, it was one of those places with no regular tables, only picnic table seating, and forty-dollar hamburgers. No, because it was where Xiaojun worked part-time as a bartender, so they could get free drinks.

"So what's the plan tonight?" Ten asked as Xiaojun poured Yangyang and himself some sort of drink (he refused to tell Ten what was in it, and Ten suspected it contained dregs of whatever bottles were almost empty at the bar. Xiaojun set Yangyang and Ten's drinks in front of them and Ten took a huge gulp. Whatever was in it, it was good. 

"I was low-key thinking...Vision Way?" Yangyang said hesitantly. As the gayby (recently out of the closet biual college freshman) of the group, he was still a little unaccustomed to their scene. 

" yeah," Ten answered. Vision Way is the best gay bar in the area. Plus, he was excited (and a little proud) of Yangyang for even suggesting it.

"That sounds great," Xiaojun answered as he wiped down the bar. "Plus...it's amateur drag night." 

Slowly, Xiaojun and Ten shared a grin. Neither would consider themselves drag queens, per se, but they did enjoy getting dressed up in girl's clothes every once in a while. 

"Yes! Let's do that!" Yangyang said excitedly, bouncing on the ty bar stool. 

"Alright, let me go clock out." But before Xiaojun could leave the bar, he froze and glared. 

"What?" Yangyang asked. 

"Behind you. Subtly." 

Despite Xiaojun's warning Yangyang whipped around and stared, pointedly, right where Xiaojun was looking. A bit less obviously, Ten turned to look too. 

Taking up at least half a picnic table was a group of obvious business majors/frat boys, dressed either in suits or complete disarray, whistling at the poor waitress who was walking away with their empty glasses. She grimaced so hard that Ten felt genuine anger he hadn't felt in years.

"They've been here all day," Xiaojun mumbled. "I've wanted to say something, but the waitresses told me not to. Said I'd get beat up. The manager's been saying he'll talk to them." 

"Guys, cut it out!" A voice cut through the hooting and gross chatter. Ten's eyebrows furrowed; he knew that voice... he turned around and his eyes widened. Kun?

"Yeah, that guy's been trying to get the rest of them to shut up all day. Wonder why he's even with them." 

Ten laughed a little, more to himself than anyone. "That's Kun, from my job. The crypto guy." 

"Oh!" Both Yangyang and Xiaojun laughed. 

"At least he's not all bad," Xiaojun said. "But he's pretty bad, judging by the company he keeps." 

"I have no clue how you could have ever found him attractive though," Yangyang added. 

Ten rolled his eyes, trying not to be embarrassed. "Can we go now? I don't want him to see me." 

Xiaojun breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, please. I need out of this hell hole!" 

~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, it had been a beautiful, beautiful evening. Xiaojun, Yangyang, and Ten continued to pregame at Ten's place, trying on y little sequin black dresses and -length wigs and make-up in every color under the sun, which yes, Ten was proud to own, until they looked y enough to kill a man. Then, properly wasted, they headed out to Vision Way, danced their asses off, messed up their lipstick, and killed the amateur queen contest (Ten won the whole thing, of course, and absolutely abused the free drink tickets he'd received as a prize). 

It wasn't until closing that Yangyang, Xiaojun, and Ten stumbled out of the bar. The wig Xiaojun had borrowed from Ten was missing, one of Ten's heels had broken, but who gave a ? They were free. And Ten just laughed, louder than he had in ages. Working at Neo Culture Tech made him feel like there was a weight pressing down on his chest, but right here and now, the weight was gone. 

"Who wants to postgame?" Ten cheered. 

"D'ya think any liquor stores are open?" Yangyang slurred. 

"Mmh, by my place," Xiaojun answered. 

" yeah!" Ten yelled. Yangyang cheered with him and the three boys slung their arms over each other's shoulders, wandering in the vague direction of Xiaojun's apartment, stumbling at every turn. 

They rounded the corner and Ten gave the upcoming building a glare. 

Simon and Matthew's. The straight bar that had opened right around the corner from Vision Way last year. Frankly, Ten found it homophobic of the owners to park their straight asses here when this was clearly Vision Way territory. But so far, he had made it away from the place safely when passing by. 

So far. 

A group of men, yelling and chattering with that guy way were emerging from the bar just as Ten and his friends were walking past. Ten looked up at them and almost froze. 

", are those the guys from your restaurant?" Ten asked. 

"I think so..." Xiaojun answered clearly; all three of them had immediately sobered up. Their communication was wordless: they let go of each other shoulders, turned their eyes down, and began to power walk down the street. 

But those men were absolutely wasted, so there was no way Ten and his friends would be left alone. 

"Hey! What the are es like you doing outside our bar?" One of them shouted. 

Ten's rage had started heating up in the restaurant earlier that evening, and now it had just about boiled over. 

"This isn't your street you piece of !" 

"Yeah, leave us the alone!" Yangyang added, and Ten pushed him back. He did not want the kid to get involved.

Xiaojun gripped both of their arms tight with real panic in his eyes, but Ten just ignored him. 

"We could take down you little es any day," one of them voiced, and Ten almost laughed at the pathetic-sounding threat, but the growl in his voice sent true fear down his spine instead. Ten's eyes moved from a defiant stare to the cement beneath him. 

"What, are you scared? Are you little scared?" Another teased. 

"We know where you guys came from. Can't wait until Vision Way gets burned to the ground." Xiaojun shuddered. 

"Is that why all you little boys pass by here? So you can beg to get some from some real men?" 

Ten couldn't help himself, he was still drunk and just the thought of that made him retch." 

"What's your problem little ?" The one growled even louder this time, and oh my god he was actually lunging after Ten, when-

"Hey! Hey, guys, what the ?" 

Embarrassingly like a night in shining armor, suddenly, Kun emerged from the bar. . Ten winced. 

"What the hell is going on here?" The deep anger and authoritativeness in his voice was so...hot. Ten shook his head quickly, trying to physically remove the thought from his head. 

"We were just telling these fa-" 

"Come on. You all have been, just, obnoxious all day today!" 

The other men scoffed, like they were proud. Ten could see Kun calculating how to get them to lay off. 

"If any of your behavior today gets on social media, you'll all get fired. Maybe even expelled." 

Ten smiled at the sudden panic in their eyes. Kun was smart too. No, he was stupid, because he was into crypto (vomit), but this idea was smart. Ugh. 

"Alright, I called us all taxis, come on." Kun began herding the stupid sheep-men away from the bar and Ten and his friends. Ten, Yangyang, and Xiaojun could do nothing but watch them go. But as they were walking away, Kun briefly turned around, and he and Ten locked eyes. 

The lightbulb of recognition lit up in Kun's (pretty, yes, Ten could think they were pretty because he was still drunk) eyes and after squashing all thoughts of Kun's pretty eyes in his mind, Ten groaned. 

. 

Ten didn't like it. He didn't like that Kun had seen him all alone in the lunch room, or being talked down to by his stupid ing friends. Ten didn't even let people he liked see him be this vulnerable. He didn't even let people he loved see he was vulnerable at all. 

"I'm so sorry," Kun half whispered, half mouthed, as he dragged his friends away. 

Ten wasn't sure if it made things better. 

"Come on guys, let's go," Xiaojun said, a thread of fear still in his voice. 

"Yes, please, hurry," Yangyang added, the three friends breaking into a power walk, almost run. 

But Ten was still lost in icky, icky thought, and his night was over.