Chapter 4

A/N:

// text like this is used when the characters speak in their head; thoughts //

<< text like this is used when characters are talking with one another; basically the dialogue >>

\\ text like this is used with social media; calls, messages, texts, captions, etc. \\

They arrive at Kastilla a few minutes after the call and Shen can't help but feel a bit excited for Vincent because he gets to meet Papi and the others. While he's aware that they've already met, that one doesn't really count since it was only through playing volleyball. It's not like they had time to chitchat while they were too busy trying to catch the ball. All the more, Shen is excited because Vincent could've taken offense over their dirty mouths in the call but instead, he rode along with it and Shen can only assume Vincent was able to see how they're genuinely great people who just have abrasive behaviors every now and then.

Shen parks beside Papi's car and notices Gigi's car also parked at a corner of the lot. This meant that Gigi was also present and the idea of the girl being there excites Shen all the more because she definitely is a fun character to party with. Shen hurriedly leads Vincent to their usual table at the bar and when they get there, Shen is surprised to see everyone from the volleyball match present. Papi spots them approaching and stands before he announces their arrival to the table.

<< They're here! They're here! Shen and Vincent, the newest couple in town. >>

The people around the table scoot over to make space for the new arrivals and Vincent just laughs off Papi's teasing before sitting down right after Shen. As for Shen, he feels a bit embarrassed but disguises it by ignoring Papi's jab in hopes of him dropping it. He then introduces Vincent to the table and they all greet one another before Gigi calls a waiter to order a new bucket of beer. She asks what Vincent usually drinks and he asks the waiter if they had Smirnoff, to which the man replies with a yes. He asks for that while Shen decides to just have the same bottle as Vincent.

<< So, I believe you two had fun today? >>

Kris whips out his phone for everyone to see and show them all the new hashtag #ShenVin trending on Twitter. Vincent's eyes pop out in surprise as he fails to process how he's now trending on the internet when it hasn't even been a full day yet since he and Shen hung out. He looks at Shen accusingly and Shen can only shrug his shoulders and blame the fans. To further tease the both of them, Kris clicks on the hashtag to reveal the hundreds of tweets about them before reading some of it out loud. He also shows the phone to everyone where there are pictures involved and makes great emphasis on the word 'date' while playing it off as 'the fan's wording'. Vincent just shyly laughs at the sudden attention, clueless on how to react but on the other hand Shen was doing his best to grab the phone from Kris' hand to turn it off. After a few more tweets and teasing, their drinks arrive and Kris decides that he's had his fill of teasing the two before asking the waiter to take a photo of them.

<< I'm gonna tag you guys so you better add my story to your story. Hey Vincent, what's your IG? >>

<< It's 'binary_vincent'. >>

Everyone on the table follows him and Vincent visibly reddens. He might not know their work as celebrities but the fact that they're celebrities can't be denied. Plus, it's not everyday that celebrities ask him for his IG and follow him while sharing a table with them.

The waiter takes their photo before handing Kris' phone back and true to his word, he tags all of them present in the picture. Vincent features it in his own story before visiting their individual profiles, not surprised seeing how they're just as famous as Shen, all with more than a million followers. He clicks the follow button before placing his phone down on the table as Gigi hands him an opened bottle. He thanks her for opening it for him and takes a sip of it.

<< So tell us Vincent, besides volleyball, what else are you good at? >>

Vincent talks about himself to the table, mainly the things he's already told Shen. Everyone listens to him while asking questions when there's something that confuses or intrigues them. In return, everyone talks briefly about themselves and Vincent takes note of everyone's stories. Papi then asks if Vincent has seen any of their work and Vincent can't help but avoid eye contact, feeling ashamed.

<>

Vincent feels a bit embarrassed for being invited to a table of stars while being unaware of why they shine so brightly. Everyone could see Vincent's uneasiness and good thing Shen is quick on the uptake. He pats Vincent on the shoulder and gives him a light squeeze.

<< Don't feel bad. I mean, not everyone has to know us right? >>

Papi bumps the neck of his beer bottle with Vincent's before adding to Shen's statement.

<< No worries man. You can just catch up like everyone else. Start by watching my drama Eternal Ending and you'll get why I'm the most famous one out of this lot. >>

Pete scoffs at Papi while Gigi pretends to choke on her drink as Taylor pretentiously rubs her back and even Shen joins in on the teasing by asking Pete if he recognized the smell of bullshit coming out of someone's mouth. Vincent's mouth hangs agape at hearing Shen curse for the first time and makes eye contact with Kris before they both burst into laughter. Papi pretends to get hurt, gets up to leave but none of the people in the table stop him. He ends up laughing at himself before telling everyone that he'll no longer treat them when they go out of town.

The teasing continues albeit lighter than earlier as everyone recommends their drama series for Vincent to watch. Papi stars in Eternal Ending, Gigi in Remembering Travis, Kris in My Answer Is You, Taylor in Be Mine and Pete in Still Love You. Vincent actively listens to everyone share about their dramas but when he notices that Shen hasn't mentioned his, he turns his head towards Shen and asks him about his work.

<< What about you Shen? Don't you want me to see your work? >>

Shen couldn't tell what it was. Was it the alcohol getting to Vincent? Was it the good mood in the table? Or was it just himself being extra aware of him? Because if it weren't any of those, he doesn't know how to explain why Vincent's face is suddenly inches away from his. It was all too fast for Shen to process. Vincent could've just turned and glanced at him but why did he have to dip down and invade Shen's personal space? Their breaths were mingling and the tipsy smile of Vincent was hypnotizing Shen to keep staring. Luckily, he catches himself from thinking of any more thoughts but can't stop the rushing of blood to his ears and face. Shen had to turn away shyly, disguising it as a cough before gathering himself, pretending to be cool, and thinking of an answer.

<< Definitely Into My World. It was my debut drama so it'll always have a spot in my heart. I'm warning you though, I'm a rookie then so there will be some cringey scenes. >>

<>

Vincent gives Shen a bright, perhaps a bit tipsy, toothy smile and it does nothing except make Shen's stomach flutter. Shen's strength is sapped from how pure and cute the smile of Vincent is and to make matters worse, it's directed solely at him. Unlike the competitive, confident smile from the game, this cute, tipsy drunk is wreaking havoc to Shen's heart and any longer would be dangerous for him. Inevitably, Shen pushes Vincent's face away shyly.

<< You're too close man. >>

Vincent just goes back to drinking and engages in conversation with Kris beside him while Shen excuses himself to go to the bathroom. As Shen leaves, Papi looks to everyone in the table individually before motioning to his phone. He then creates a group chat with Gigi, Taylor, Papi, Kris and Pete.

\\ Papi: Did u guysbsee that? \\

\\ Tay: which one? Shen blushing or Shen staring? \\

\\ Gi: duh both \\

\\ Papi: wow, that's my first time seeing Shen shy like that \\

\\ Kris: even our kiss from our drsma didnt faze him but this? Wow \\

\\ Pete: do u think Shen likes him? \\

\\ Gi: im telling you to trust my girl instincts. it's a yes \\

\\ Papi: what do u think tay? \\

\\ Tay: i dunn but the way shen acted really surprised me so i think im siding with Gigi \\

\\ Kris: what do we do now? \\

\\ Pete: isnt it obvious? we hook em up \\

\\ Gi: how do we do that? \\

\\ Pete: follow my lead \\

\\ Tay, Gi, Papi, Kris: *thumbs up* \\

When Shen returns from the restroom, the moment he sits down Pete 'accidentally' topples over a glass of water towards Shen. Luckily, Shen manages to avoid being wet by moving away from the contents spilling over the edge of the table. He curses Pete for being a klutz and Pete apologizes by pulling out a lot of tissues and wiping the table down.

<< Come on guys, scooch over and give them space. I think the seat got wet. >>

Catching onto Pete's plan, everyone gives the illusion of scooching over by 'moving' to the left to give Shen more space to sit when in truth they just wiggle a little in their seats. Thankfully, their arrangement on the table, starting from the left, is Papi, Pete, Taylor, Gigi, Kris, Vincent and Shen, making their plan easier to commence. Spilling the drink over the table was a smart move on Pete's part as it made Shen squeeze a bit closer to Vincent to avoid getting his pants wet. As Pete shows an act of cleaning up the mess he made, he glances towards Kris and mouths 'your turn'.

<< Oh, oh! Girls, you said you wanted to do a photo-op right? Right? >>

<< The girls catch on and rides Kris' act. >>

<< Yeah! The lighting is good here, you're right. >>

Kris then turns to Vincent and asks him to move a little so he can take pictures of the girls. Vincent moves back despite being squeezed with Shen and Shen, despite wanting to move away, with the couch still damp and him not wanting to get his pants wet, he just supports Vincent's weight on him. Them being shoulder to shoulder proves to be a bit of a struggle as they find it too tight of a squeeze to even lift their arms to drink. Kris seems to go on forever in taking the pictures but eventually they let up since the couch has already started drying up and the girls have ran out of poses. Their plan comes to a short halt but the red tint on Shen's face is a prevalent fact that their plan is working. Seeing this, an idea pops into Papi's head.

<< Hey, what do you guys think about a card game? >>

Vincent raises his hand and explains that he's not a fan and that the only card game he knows is the solitaire game in the computer. This garners him a few chuckles but Papi shakes his hand at him.

<< No, nothing like that. It's a game I saw at this kdrama I'm watching. It's called 'The King's Game'. We'll only need one card per player but the twist is, among the cards handed out, there will be a King card. Whoever gets the King can basically order anyone to do anything. If you don't do it, you gotta drink a shot. >>

Papi further explains the rules when questions were raised and once everyone fully understood, they start the game. Papi then pulls out a deck from his bag and takes seven cards with a King. He shuffles it and then gives each one a card face down and reiterates that they're all not allowed to look at their cards till he gives the signal. Shen is surprised that Vincent is in on it but eventually joins but reminds them that dares shouldn't be too extreme. Papi assures him and tells him that they're celebrities so of course nothing too much to destroy their images. After everyone is given a card, Papi calls a waiter to ask for a bottle of gin and a shot glass. When it arrives, Papi takes the role of game master and officially starts them off.

<< OK, flip! Who's the King? >>

Everyone flips their cards and Pete shows everyone that he got King card.

<< Okay it's Pete. Start us off with something simple, okay? Don't attack right off the bat. >>

Pete gets Papi's message and he casually dares Kris to show everyone his browser history. Kris' eyes widen and he immediately pours himself a shot to drink. Everyone laughs at him and he makes a show, saying that he wants his kinks to be kept secret. They play another round and this time it's Shen who's the King.

<>

Papi then stands and turns his back on everyone as he unbuttons his shirt. Shen knows that Papi doesn't like showing off much skin so he wants to tease him a bit but to his dismay, Papi spins around and reveals that he's got an undershirt on.

<< Ha! Joke's on you Shen baby. >>

Shen just rolls his eyes and they play another round. This time, it's Vincent who's King. Papi then doesn't waste time.

<< Oi Vincent! Avenge me please, my dear friend. >>

Vincent laughs at Papi but takes his side anyways. He thinks of daring the same thing as Shen but Vincent notices that Shen isn't wearing a dress shirt. Plus he doesn't feel like he's well within his rights to ask celebrities to strip down so instead, he opts for the same dare as Pete.

<>

Shen sighs in relief, thanking the gods that whenever he watches porn, he always goes incognito. Feeling confident and with nothing to hide, he unlocks his phone and hands it to Vincent. Vincent then opens Shen's browser, checking for the typical porn sites but finds nothing. His most recent searches are just about a new phone and the new PlayStation. Papi urges Vincent to go further and so he does.

<< What's this? SkyDome tickets resellers? I thought you said you already bought the tickets? >>

Shen's eyes enlarge as he grabs his phone back while trying to play off his obvious overreaction to Vincent's finding. Everyone in the table looks at him weirdly but decides to wait for Shen's answer before reacting themselves. Shen's face is beet red at being caught red-handed and he racks his brain for an excuse to tell but he struggles as everyone's eyes are on him. He comes up with nothing and just decides to tell Vincent the truth that he really didn't have tickets for the game, he just bought it from resellers the night before. Despite the alcohol running through his veins, Vincent is still thoroughly shocked over the lengths Shen went through just to watch a volleyball game.

<< Wow, you must've really wanted to see the match then. You could've told me that you were looking for resellers. I have contacts of some of them. >>

Shen is relieved that his efforts didn't give his crush on Vincent away but he's also sad that his actions didn't quite reach Vincent the way he wanted them to. Feeling neutral over the situation, he insists that the game be continued and luckily, Papi moves them all forward. On the next turn, Papi shares a look with his conspirators and gives them a nod, signalling the start of their plan.

<< Alright. Who's the King this time? >>

This time it's Gigi. She dares Shen to come on stage and sing the soundtrack of one of his dramas, Sing For You, but to everyone's surprise Vincent stops Shen from standing and goes to drink a shot in his place.

<>

Gigi looks to the game master, Papi, and he hums in agreement before asking the cards back for the next round. He gives it a shuffle and as he eyes every player, he can't help but notice the giddy smile on Shen's face. Shen feels giddy because Vincent stopped the dare under the pretense of wanting to see his drama. Naturally that'd make him feel happy knowing that Vincent is interested in his work enough to stop Gigi's dare. They continue the King's Game and everyone targets both Vincent and Shen but they also mix in a few faints so that Vincent and Shen won't catch on to their scheme. Another round passes and this time it's Kris who's the king.

<>

<< Sounds easy. Can I see the poster? >>

Kris whips his phone out and shows the two the pose they have to reenact. Shen's face turns a shade of red and he glares at Kris for choosing such a provoking picture. They had multiple posters so why would Kris specifically pick one that could make Vincent uncomfortable? Shen was about to down a shot for Vincent but he gets to do it, Vincent finds his way on Shen's lap as he carefully studies the poster, doing his best to reenact it. Shen is caught off guard as he fully feels Vincent's bottom on his legs and he can't help the dirty thoughts climbing their way up to his head. Naturally Shen freezes, unprepared but Vincent is relentless. He grabs Shen's wrist and wraps it around his waist while he snakes his arms around Shen's neck before he plants his forehead onto Shen's.

<< Like this? >>

<< Yeah, just like that. Don't move. >>

Seeing Vincent's face up close, Shen can definitely tell that the man is somewhat drunk already. Else, he believes Vincent wouldn't go this far even for a dare with someone he literally just met. Kris directs them, telling them to keep eye contact while smiling and Shen is left with no choice but to obey. Their eyes meet and Shen can't help but get lost in Vincent's drunken stare. His face is so close, his breath fanning Shen's lips making Shen's hear beat so fast. He's aware that his ears are already a bright red as he's dying in embarrassment, giddiness and excitement and he can only hope that it doesn't show in the picture. As they continue staring into each other's eyes, waiting as Gigi 'struggles' to find the perfect angle, Vincent bursts into laughter as the embarrassment of what they're doing finally gets to him as well. His laughter infects Shen and they both start laughing with no reason and in record time, everyone in the table is laughing as well.

They momentarily stop the game to talk about Kris' drama while the game master compares the picture taken of Shen and Vincent to the poster of Kris. When Papi gives their picture a pass, Pete suggests each of them reinvent the shot as well, naming it 'The Into My World Challenge'. Loving the idea, everyone of them pairs up and have their picture taken. Once finished, they upload it on IG for the fans in hopes that they too will partake in their shenanigans.

The rest of their night is spent with playing the King game with dares ranging from impromptu acting, prank calls, ordering something not on the menu and making both Vincent and Shen shy. They call it a night when Gigi starts talking to the palm of her hand, Vincent starts imagining the table for a keyboard, Pete starts crying that he left his camera at home and Kris starts stripping, complaining about how hot it was. The only sober ones left are Papi, Shen and Taylor. The three of them look at one another and come to the realization that they're on drunk duty for tonight.

<< How will we do this? >>

Papi tells them that he'll take Kris and Pete since they all live in the same apartment complex and Taylor says she'll take care of Gigi and let her crash at her place. Shen is left with Vincent, not that he's complaining, but the only problem was he doesn't know where Vincent lived. Taylor asks Shen's plan and he just says that if he can't manage to make Vincent tell him where he lives, then he can just let him stay at his couch. Pete and Taylor share a look as Shen tries to help the drunken Vincent before mouthing to one another if they heard right. In the span of their friendship and work relationship, they've all come to learn that Shen isn't one who likes people coming over at his place. Usually it'd take a lot, and they mean a lot, of convincing for Shen to let them sleep over at his place so they're honestly surprised by Shen's answer of offering his couch to Vincent. When Shen manages to help Vincent up, he waves goodbye to everyone before dragging him to his car. Pete and Taylor share another look before sighing and turning to look back at the baggage they'll be carrying.

When Shen gets to the parking lot, he unlocks his car and sits Vincent on the passenger seat before reclining the chair backwards so he can lay down properly. He puts on Vincent's seatbelt before closing the door and circling around the car to take the driver's seat. Before leaving Kastilla, he tries to wake Vincent up by asking where he lives but the other man is out cold. With no other choice, Shen just decides to roll the windows down in hopes that the night breeze would wake Vincent up before driving back to his place.

When they arrive at Shen's place, he struggles to put Vincent on his back but somehow manages to do it on his own. He carries Vincent on his back up to his loft and he's grateful that the man is lighter than he seems. Once in front of his door, Shen struggles to fit the key to unlock the door handle because Vincent is breathing on his neck. Shivers travel through his body but he fights on and unlocks the door after a few more tries. Shen heads straight to the couch to drop Vincent on it and when he's laid down, he takes of his shoes and before taking his own pair off. He goes to his room to grab Vincent a pair of blankets to cover him with as he turns on the aircondition before sitting himself down at the opposite side of the couch.

// Today was epic. //

Shen can't help but laugh as he relives the events of the day, starting from the volleyball to the drinking. He's honestly surprised over how much of an extrovert Vincent is. If it were him, he'd honestly feel crept out if a celebrity suddenly invited him to watch a volleyball game out of the blue. Like who wouldn't, right? Apparently not Vincent. It was a bit tense at the beginning since they really didn't have anything to talk about but Shen is grateful that Vincent reciprocated the effort he gave in keeping the conversations alive because if he hadn't, then the day would've not been as long as it was. To tell the truth, Shen was half-expecting that after the game, Vincent would leave and that'd be it. He was a little shocked when he went along with Shen's plans for dinner and outright surprised when he agreed to come along to Kastilla and while Shen had a lot of fun spending time with Vincent and his friends, he can only hope that Vincent had as much fun as he did.

Shen lays his head back, excited to tell Alex about how their 'date' went but as he does this, his eyes slowly close and he falls asleep on the couch.

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