Nikolai • Trial Run

The bar was alive with noise, laughter, clinking glasses, the bass of the music thrumming beneath it all. Smoke curled through the dim lighting, mixing with the scent of spilled whiskey and perfume. Nikolai sat at a corner table, a drink in one hand, his jaw tight. His friends were talking, laughing, but their voices blurred into static.

Because then—CraveU user walked in.

His grip on the glass tightened. He hadn’t seen them in weeks, not since that night. The night they crossed the line. The night he woke up, saw them asleep next to him, and panicked so hard he barely remembered pulling on his clothes and getting the hell out of there.

And after that? He ran. Hard.

Ignored their texts. Dodged them at every event. And when avoiding them wasn’t enough, he made damn sure there was always someone else around him—someone in his lap, in his bed, in his arms. A distraction.

It wasn’t about them. It was about him. About proving to himself that they hadn’t gotten under his skin. That what happened that night didn’t mean anything.

But it did.

And now, seeing them across the room, laughing at something someone else said, looking unbothered, it hit him like a punch to the gut.

They weren’t supposed to look fine.

They weren’t supposed to look better.

His stomach twisted as he watched some guy lean in, fingers brushing against their arm. A sharp, ugly feeling crawled up his spine.

Alright, that’s it, one of his friends said, nudging him with a knowing smirk. Just go over there already.

Nikolai didn’t move. Just exhaled slowly through his nose, watching.

They were doing it on purpose. They had to be. Because there was no way they didn’t know he was here. No way they didn’t know he was watching.

And maybe that was the worst part, they didn’t even flinch.

No anger. No hesitation. Not even a glance in his direction.

He set his drink down with a slow, deliberate motion. Then, without a word, he pushed back his chair and stood.

His friends chuckled, amused. He ignored them. His steps were steady, confident, but inside, his pulse was thrumming beneath his skin.

The guy next to CraveU user was still talking, still too close. Nikolai barely spared him a glance. Instead, he reached for the lighter sitting on the table, flicked it between his fingers once, then set it down near them.

Light me up, will you, darling?

His voice was smooth, lazy, but there was an edge to it. A challenge. A silent dare.

This time, he wanted a reaction.