nightclub.

@⟢ oleander olson Tee felt a rush of awkwardness as the stranger’s arm wrapped around his waist. For starters, skinship was never his thing—the only exception being his late dog—but that is a tale for another time. And the environment did not do much to alleviate the pounding of his heartbeat; the raucous laughter of the crowds and the pumping bass of the nightclub made him dizzy, yet he continued to focus on the arm that clung around his waist. It felt somewhat comforting, just wrong timing.

He whispered "thank you" under his breath immediately after he heard the loud voice of the stranger. The stranger's voice distracted the woman from him, even if it was only for a moment. A half-smile flickered on his lips, but a deeper look into his eyes revealed faint blushes and beads of sweat on his forehead. He is very awkward, and it was even worse when he took the MBTI test recently and scored 100% as an introvert. Thus, he was not used to asking for help, especially in such an unusual situation. “I didn’t think I’d be needing a rescue tonight,” he added, trying to laugh off the tension in his chest even as his heartbeat quickened.

When the stranger leaned in closer and murmured, "Bear with me for a bit," he nodded, doing his best to play along, even if the entire scenario seemed comical, at least from his perspective. He laughed at the absurdity of the situation; who could have predicted that he would find himself in the role of a saviour tonight? “Sure thing,” replied Tee, gazing over at that woman. “Let me know what you need,” he said calmly, even while his mind raced with thoughts of that lady who’s still watching over him. Still lingering, like a pest, except no pest controller could be found at the moment—just a temporary saviour as the ultimate solution.

He took another glance at the woman, who’s now just steps away from them. A chill ran down his spine. The intensity of her gaze made his stomach twist. “What’s the plan? I don’t think she’ll make it easy to get away,” he said, his voice tinged with concern despite the light-hearted front he tried to maintain. Forgive him, but he still wanted to portray himself as that one chill dude in a club that still remained fine even after almost being harassed by a stranger. The plot twist? He asked another stranger to become the knight in shining armour, rescuing him from the unexpected disturbance. ‘Way to go, Tee’, he thought to himself and absentmindedly leaned closer and, heck, even rested his forehead on the stranger’s shoulder.

When he realised what he had just done, he felt a blush rising to his cheeks, and maybe even to his brain, since their bodies were technically stuck together. "Sorry," he said awkwardly. attempting to stabilise their position, concerned that his body weight would cause discomfort to the stranger. "I appreciate you stepping in," he said with sincerity, because he wished he could repay the gratitude, but given his current situation, the show must go on. “I am Tee; I know this is not the right time for an introduction, but I usually don’t do stuff like this, not with strangers.” That sounded wrong, and he chuckled slightly, shaking his head. “I mean, thank you??” he continued, but how he wished he could just stop talking and just embrace the stranger tightly in his arm to avoid further embarrassment.

@⟢ tee akkharamethi The theatre troupe had just returned to Ayrton two days ago, having gone on tour for the past three months. After a full day of rest, the director invited everyone to an outing at the local nightclub to celebrate their successful wrap. Not one to sit out of professional social events, Oleander agreed to join.

It was well into the night when everyone gathered at the crowded venue, surrounding the bar and chatting animatedly amongst themselves. Oleander greeted the crew, exchanging nods of acknowledgement and smiles of amicability, shaking a few hands and returning some waves. He got himself a glass of liquor, barely filling one-third of the cup, and started to talk with whoever was right beside him.

As the minutes ticked by and turned into hours, the group started to disperse. Some found their way to the dance floor while others called it a night, alcohol tolerance low and showing. Eventually, only a few were left at the bar, with Oleander standing by his lonesome.

Unperturbed by the sudden lack of company, he leisurely sipped at his drink. He fished out his phone and tapped on the screen, checking the time. It was nearing midnight, and with no one to spend the time with, Oleander thought he would get moving after finishing his liquor.

However, just when he was a mouthful away from emptying the glass, someone leaned close and addressed him in a whisper. The sudden presence caught Oleander off guard, but amidst the booming bass of the music and excited hollers of patrons, he still caught the stranger’s plea for help. Under the flashing lights of the nightclub, he managed to catch a glimpse of the person’s desperate expression, casting a glance behind him to check the individual he was addressing.

In the sea of bodies, his eyes immediately landed on an approaching woman. Her wild gaze sent a chill down his spine, and his brows furrowed with concern. Judging by the man’s urgency and the unknown lady’s erratic behaviour, it did not take long for Oleander to understand the situation.

Immediately, his acting persona switched on. He slipped an arm around the stranger’s waist, gently tugging him close in an intimate fashion. Oleander peeked at the woman, and made eye contact with her drunken hues.

The lady stopped a few steps away from them. In a loud and clear voice, so that it may carry to the target, Oleander addressed the stranger.

“Hey, love. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

He could feel the woman’s gaze on them, boring deeply, watching them like a hunting hawk. He tried not to acknowledge her, knowing that any attention given would expose the lie he created in that split second. He needed to help the poor sod shake off this persistent suitor, and what better way to do that than to pretend to be his partner?

“Where did you go?” Oleander asked once more, body pressed close to the stranger. Then, tilting his head close to the man’s ear, he whispered, “Bear with me for a bit.”

@⟢ oleander olson Crowded.

That was the first thing in his mind the moment he stepped into the club. Well, not surprising. It’s a club, not a library—the noise is bearable. But for someone like Tee, who prioritized peace and quiet over worldly material things, this was torture. He was here because of an invitation, a friend's birthday.

But that friend was probably busy kissing faces rather than appreciating the fact that he was getting older. Not that it mattered to Tee. He was already here; the least he could do was enjoy the drinks.

“,” he muttered. He was driving his own car—no chauffeur, no driver; he was tonight’s driver. Getting a DUI was the last thing he wanted—not this year—not when the year had just begun. So, this antisocial being scooted away from the crowd (but there was nowhere peaceful and quiet) and sat in the left corner of what seemed like space right next to the DJ stage. It was less crowded there since it was space for the 'crew,' or so he thought (the DJ was not on duty that night, hence the 'emptiness').

He was never a fan of clubbing.

He thought it was a private event, one he usually attended, but no. His friend's extroverted nature made it seem like a birthday wasn’t a birthday if it wasn’t celebrated by all! Again, not that it mattered to Tee.

He leaned against the wall, silently observing the crowd—many were outrageously drunk, but they looked happy. He was so absorbed in watching when he suddenly felt someone hug his left arm. The taekwondo black belt, 4th dan in him, almost punched the stranger. But thank God he practiced yoga, so he remained calm and composed as he tried to assess the situation in the fleeting second he had to comprehend, “Why the hell did this stranger just hug his arm like it was hers?”

“Hey there, where do you think you’re going?” a woman’s voice purred from behind him, her breath laced with the intoxicating mix of perfume and alcohol. Tee turned slightly, his polite smile faltering as he took in her flushed cheeks and dazed expression. “What the hell,” he cursed loudly in his mind, not out loud.

“I’m just leaving,” Tee replied coolly, attempting to shake off her persistent grip. His heart quickened, unease settling in as he resumed his path, hoping to lose her in the sea of bodies. Was this the new era? He didn’t care about the norms of club interactions, but this lady looked thirsty—and it was definitely not water she needed. HOLY WATER IS WHAT SHE REQUIRED. But let’s remain calm, Tee reminded himself.

The more he walked away from her, the closer she got—like bees to honey, except this time, the bees would sting real hard. Every time he turned his head (he tried to do it subtly, like in a movie, coolly looking back), the only thing he witnessed was the woman, like a zombie, creepily following behind him. He could just walk away and leave the club— but Tee was terrible with directions. He couldn’t find the exit sign no matter how good his eyesight was. Damn it—why today, of all days?

Feeling trapped (like a fish, really), he glanced around, trying to rack his brain—the same brain that helped him graduate at the top of his class in law school. A look over his shoulder (again), confirmed she was still on his tail, her gaze wilder than before, as if she couldn’t wait to feast on him alive. And in that moment of desperation, he turned to a nearby stranger—someone who seemed unfazed in this chaotic sea of humanity.

“Hey,” he whispered urgently, leaning in close to avoid being overheard, “you gotta help me with this one.” His voice remained steady, but if anyone looked deeper into his eyes, they would see that he just wanted to vanish into ashes and never return to this place.

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