"DRINK DRINK DRINK!"
The chant thundered through the bar as bottles clattered on the tables. Gulp after gulp echoed, and Matthew sat at the center of it all, swallowing gin like a man possessed.
Across from him slumped a middle-aged man, his pot belly straining against a striped shirt stained dark with old liquor, the buttons threatening to burst at any moment. His flushed face glistened with sweat as he swallowed down another bottle.
Adrian stood behind Matthew with Lucas, still reeling at how quickly things had spiraled. Only an hour ago, Mac had kept his promise of free drinks. Matthew, drunk and grinning, stood on the mahogany counter daring anyone to challenge him to a "battle of gins."
Adrian was not shocked but resigned. He had seen Matthew drink before, but never in front of a full crowd chanting his name.
The crowd was alive with shouts and wagers. Men shoved coins into each other's palms, calling their bets while Mac stood as the witness. Betting was as natural here as drinking itself.
"So, who are you placing your bet on?" One man asked his friend, jostling with an elbow.
The friend snorted, as if the question insulted his intelligence. "Well isn't it obvious?Gin sparrow, of course" He jabbed a finger toward the pot bellied man, who was already on his fifteenth bottle.
"Why him?"
The man gave his friend an amused look at his question, before letting out an incredulous sigh. "Do you know why they call him gin sparrow?" Cutting his friends off before he could reply, he continued. "They call him that because no one has ever won against him in a battle of gins, which earned him the name 'Gin sparrow'."
When he overheard the two gamblers whispering about "Gin Sparrow," Adrian nearly laughed. Lucas, however, was already flashing a grin as he counted out coins. Adrian caught the look and shook his head, chuckling under his breath. Lucas never missed a chance to gamble, and tonight, his cousin's shamelessness had him flushed with confidence.
"Of course you'd bet on him," Adrian muttered under his breath.
Thomas caught his looks and winked at him, his face pink from drink and excitement.
Adrian shook his head, a laugh slipping out despite himself. Thomas smugness wasn't surprising, he'd seen it before but the flush on his face as he doubled down on Matthew was too much.
At the final stretch, Gin Sparrow staggered upright, clutching his thirtieth bottle. He gulped it down with trembling hands, then swayed, eyes glassy. A moment later he crumpled, vomiting across the floor as the crowd shoved each other as they distanced themselves, groaning in disgust.
A heartbeat later, Matthew slammed his bottle down and finished with a triumphant shout, face flushed but lit by the wild adrenaline of the moment.
"YEAH!"
The bar exploded. Cheers thundered off the low ceiling, drowning out the curses of those who had lost their bets. Adrian pushed forward, helping hoist Matthew up onto shoulders. Even flushed and reeking of gin, his friend grinned as though he'd conquered an empire. Adrian cheered in spite of himself. He wasn't just cheering, he was grinning with that mix of pride and disbelief only an old friend can have.
"MATTHEW!"
"MATTHEW!"
Coins changed hands. Some men were cheering, others cursing their losses. One man glared daggers at his friend, who had convinced him to back Gin Sparrow. The poor fool stood unaware of the hateful glare his friend was boring into, still shocked by the outcome.
Thomas slipped away through the chaos, returning with a pouch heavy with shillings. His face glowed with shameless bliss as he dipped his hand inside to feel the coins again and again.
-----
Moments later, the three of them managed to wriggle free of the crowd, stumbling out into the damp night air. The noise of the bar still spilled into the street, muffled but relentless, like waves beating against the doors.
Thomas grabbed Matthew in a fierce hug, still half-drunk on victory. "I will never again question if you're my legitimate cousin," he declared, voice brimming with triumph.
"Ah—" Matthew groaned, swaying. "I think I'm gonna barf." He darted to the gutter and emptied his stomach, earning a sympathetic wince from Adrian.
"Are you okay?". Adrian asked, patting his back.
Matthew only gave a shaky thumbs up
"He will be fine," Thomas said with a dismissive wave, the pouch of shillings clinking in his other hand. "Besides, this is the only reason I bring him out with me. If he couldn't do this, I'd wonder what purpose he even serves."
Adrian sighed, shaking his head at the Shamelessness that ran deep in the Wellington bloodline. Thomas chased fortune, Matthew chased thrills. And somehow, Adrian always ended up in the middle, steadying the scale before it tipped too far.
Thomas-suddenly sobering, turned to Adrian. "By the way, you never did tell us why you were sulking earlier."
Adrian rubbed at his brow, frustration flashing. "It's about my conditional theme. Mr Bexley gave me… advice." He left it vague, knowing too well the teasing that would follow if he told them about Selene being involved.
Thomas caught the change in mood and tried to soften it as he remembered Adrian's complaint, quickly added "No need to stress about it"
Following a slight pause, he added amused "If it comes to it, we might ask Matthew for advice."
Matthew arched a brow, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "And what do you know about love, cousin? I've got more experience than you, virgin boy."
Thomas's face turned Scarlet. "What did you just—?"
Matthew was already laughing as he bolted down the street, still shouting virgin boy in a mocking tone. Lucas tore after him, swearing vengeance. Adrian followed at an easier pace, laughter breaking free despite the tension still knotted in his chest.
For all their shamelessness, for all their flaws, nights like this, it always felt refreshing spending it with them.