Fuck Witcha

Moo: okay so is evan actually mad at craig??? like what is the deal bc theres def something in the air

Lui: yeah idk i havent heard from him in a few days im getting concerned

RoastMasterV2: im fine. everything is fine.

Four07: yeah im not touching that

Moo: its always YOU thats gotta say something huh

ChokingIsMyKink: me and evan have talked things through and come to an understanding

Moo: omg wait did u end up going to see tyler's family???

WildHoe: he did!! we had a really great time too

WildHoe: some of my cousins ended up being there as well

Terroriser: oh well that certainly sounds enjoyable

WildHoe: it was so fun like we spent the whole weekend together and everything

RoastMasterV2: im glad things worked out for you

Fitz: alright lads im back to my country

Kryoz: ive prayed for times like these

Fitz: oh fuck off

BasicallyIGetFucked: have a safe flight dude

Fitz: im not getting on the plane quite yet btw brian is taking me to the airport

ChokingIsMyKink: brian is driving you?

Fitz: i offered to take an uber but brian was all like no i need an excuse to leave the house anyway so here we are

RoastMasterV2: im going back to bed

Moo: ur still on meds??

RoastMasterV2: finally was able to get back on my antidepressants after the pain meds and getting a new prescription so my body is just getting used to it

Lui: evans been too busy trying to recover from what craig did to him to plot his demise

Four07: fr

Terroriser: look okay

Terroriser: i also needed to get groceries otherwise i wouldve let him take an uber or something

Moo: ohhhhh surreeee

Kryoz: brian just wants to make sure hes GONE

Fitz: i think thats what YOU want

——

LOCATION: Brian and Evan's Apartment

TIME: 11:24 A.M.

Craig clutched the paper bag, listening to the crinkle echo through the hall as he stepped closer to the door he was looking for. He looked down at his phone, the screen displaying one of his locked notes where he had written down all kinds of addresses and other various information. Looking back up, he found that he had already found the right door.

Putting his phone away, Craig used his free hand to knock on the door. Though he was trying to keep his composure, he had ended up using more force than intended so it was more of a pound that he had wanted. Regardless, he did it three more times.

"I'm coming! God, did you really forget your keys again-" the door opened, revealing Evan, who was drowning in a hoodie two sizes too big on him, the hem of his shorts just peeking out from underneath. "Oh. It's you." The warmth that had initially been in Evan's voice was gone now, and the two of them stared at one another for a heartbeat longer than they maybe should've. "Well?"

"When I was with Tyler this weekend, I picked up some tea and thought it'd be nice to share. After all, things wouldn't have gone so well if it wasn't for your great advice."

"Brian isn't here, in case you're really looking for him."

"I know. I'm here to talk to you. Seriously. It meant a lot that you still did all that for me after...well, you know."

Evan pulled his injured hand closer to him. "Yeah."

"So, can I come in? Or are we just gonna talk here in the hallway?"

Evan stepped aside, hesitantly, and gestured for Craig to come in. "Sure, come on in. I have a feeling you'll stand out there even if I don't let you in."

"Mind if I use your kitchen? To make the tea?"

"Sure. I'm gonna go put these blankets in the wash- Cam has been using them the whole time he's been here and..."

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll get the water boiling." Craig stepped into the kitchen, rummaging around for a pot while keeping an eye on what Evan was doing. He moved through the living room, his cast pressed to his chest as he gathered the blankets and pillows that Cam had been sleeping on, struggling a bit as he walked down the small hallway where the washer and dryer combo was hidden behind a closet door. He dropped everything on the floor, crouching down so that he could sort it. Craig poured water into the pot and placed it on the stove before looking for the mugs.

Carefully, he placed the mugs on the counter in front of him, taking a deep breath. It probably wasn't the first time these mugs had been taken out at the same time- Brian and Evan probably used these same mugs every morning the same way they probably combined their laundry and had one couch that they sat next to each other on and-

He shook his head. No, he had told himself that he wouldn't think like that anymore. Evan and Brian were friends or they weren't and either way it didn't matter to him.

Then what the hell was he doing here?

Craig opened the paper bag, reassuring himself that he wasn't doing this out of petty jealousy- he was over that phase and was ready to fully commit to a healthy lifestyle. He peered down the hall, catching sight of Evan leaned against the washing machine, scrolling on his phone while chewing on one of the strings of his hoodie- or maybe it was Brian's hoodie?- without a care in the world. He glanced back at the stove. "I think the water is almost ready!"

He pulled out the box of tea bags from the bag alongside a marker and a small plastic bag. Craig glanced over at Evan, who had just shut the lid on the washer, a bottle of detergent at his feet, the lid just placed on top (he could tell because it was upside down). Craig took out two packets, ripping them open and placing one of them in each cup before taking the marker and making a small mark on the string of the bag in Evan's cup. The water was now boiling.

"Sorry, just had to ask Brian to pick up another detergent. You said it's almost ready?" Evan started walking towards the kitchen.

"Oh, I got it! Don't even worry about it with your arm- just go sit down." Evan looked at him apprehensively, phone still in hand, but shrugged and walked over to the couch.

"Try not to burn yourself."

Craig opened the plastic bag. "Don't worry, I won't!"

-

Evan placed his phone on the coffee table, his legs crossed together as he sunk into the couch. He thought about turning the television on, but he knew there was nothing to watch and if there was it'd be drowned out by whatever the two of them ended up fighting about.

"Tyler's parents had this tea at their house and I thought it was so good that I had to get a box for our place. I would've never done that without you, Ev- seriously." It felt weird to hear the nickname from anyone's mouth other than Brian's, but he could let it go for the moment as Craig placed the tea in front of him. "It'll take a few moments to steep, and of course it's hot, but I hope you like it."

Evan picked up the cup, softly blowing on it so that he could take a sip, letting the taste of orange and florals and a hint of cherry fill his mouth. "Wow, it's not half bad." He watched as Craig took a seat on the opposite side of the couch. "They make it themselves?"

Craig smiled, watching as he took another sip. "I went to this local farmer's market they have on Saturdays and it's from a local farmer who makes the blend himself. No two batches are exactly alike, but I think it really adds to the experience, don't you think?" Evan nodded, blowing on the cup once more. "Hope it's not too hot- I tried to use that method of catching the water right before it starts to boil because that's when its supposed to be the best, but I might've let it sit a bit too long while I took out the tea bags."

"I think it's fine." Evan placed the cup down, turning to Craig as he picked up his own cup. "So, you wanted to talk?"

"I really just wanted to share this tea. I mean, it's so great that after all that time I spent resenting you and blaming you, that it ended up being totally fine."

"I told you it would. You just had to face it." Evan picked up the cup again, continuing to drink it. He was probably halfway through it now.

"Yeah. I did have to face it. Especially since you didn't tell me his cousins would be there, too." Now, Evan put the cup down again, something flashing across his face.

"Did it matter?"

"You know it does." Craig leaned back, sinking further into the sofa as Evan suddenly felt trapped, like an animal in a cage.

"So, this is why you wanted to see me?" He reached for his phone, uncrossing his legs as he transitioned into a more traditional sitting position. Something in his stomach lurched- he was nauseous, anxious to throw up whatever he had just consumed. "You trying to threaten me or something?" Evan heard his words slur together, and he stood abruptly from the couch.

"I really don't like that thing you've been holding over me, Ev. It's a real big set back in my recovery plan, you know."  Evan felt dizzy as he stumbled around the couch. His vision was getting blurry.

"You're crazy." Evan made it halfway across the room before his legs gave out. Craig stood now, calmly walking over to where Evan was lying, his eyes demanding to be closed. He bent down and picked up Evan's phone. "You're such a fucking psycho."

—

As soon as Evan was completely passed out, Craig grabbed him by his legs and dragged him into the small hallway so that he was out of the way.

He placed the phone in the spot that Evan had been lying and smashed it as hard as he could with just his shoe. Craig did it a few times before snooping around in the kitchen for something that could be more useful, discovering a meat tenderizer in a random drawer. Wasting no more time, he crouched to his knees, lifting up the small mallet and bringing it down with as much strength as he could muster until it was nothing but a million little pieces of technical junk. He was panting, looking around and making eye contact with Evan's unconscious form.

There couldn't have been much more time that he'd have in the apartment by himself, so he seized the opportunity and walked towards the bedrooms, meat tenderizer still in his hand.

First, he ended up in what he could assume was Evan's bedroom- the curtains were drawn so that the entire room was shrouded in darkness, the bed was a mess of sheets and blankets and the clothes that he assumed Evan had slept in the night before. Flicking on the light switch, he set to work digging through piles and rifling through various drawers. On his night stand was a phone charger, antidepressants, a water bottle, and a small lamp. The drawer was as equally unexciting by housing a few snacks, a couple bookmarks, and  a book (he didn't even think Evan read), and a few other random things he didn't care to acknowledge.

"Does this guy seriously not have a laptop or something?" He asked himself as he walked through the rest of the room, clutching the meat tenderizer as if something could jump at him at any given moment. Kicking at various piles and digging through things Evan kinda kept everywhere all at once, he tried to keep an eye out for any kind of tech that could have a backup copy of sorts.

There was a small shelf next to the door that led to the bathroom, holding a small collection of books and a notebook that had been placed in front of them as if he had put it down in a rush. Craig picked it up, flicking through the pages and skimming the content. "A diary?" There were dated pages and the scrawl of what he could assume to be Evan's handwriting and it immediately caught his interest.

He tucked the book under his arm as he stepped inside the bathroom, his gaze sweeping the counter which was spotless aside from a small cup that held two toothbrushes. Why does he need two? Craig moved his attention to the cabinet, which he opened with all the casualness of someone who actually lived there. Like this was his apartment rather than the apartment of his ex and his arch-nemesis (who did not seem to share the same sentiments.) There were a couple of prescription bottles that he didn't bother to read the label of as he stuffed them in his pocket, concocting a half-baked scheme to stage a robbery of sorts. He'd have to smash the tv and take a few things which could be risky, but it'd be worth it so long as he wasn't caught.

When he left Evan's room, he paused, the only sound being Evan's breathing as he contemplated stepping into Brian's room. With Evan, he had a purpose- find any evidence linking to the blackmail and destroy it or find something of equal value to ensure that Evan wasn't the only one with power- but going into Brian's room would just be feeding into parts of himself he had vowed to let go of. Brian didn't think of him like Craig thought of him, not anymore, but a small part of him still felt like Brian owed him something.

Craig stepped into Brian's room, switching the light on and being shocked by how neat and proper everything looked. As if it had been freshly cleaned or not even touched in so long. He tried not to touch anything, careful not to lean into the fantasies he had of Brian taking him back one day. Craig was with Tyler now, and he was happy, and Brian didn't want him anymore and it was okay. Brian didn't need him, and he didn't need Brian.

He couldn't help but notice the thin layer of dust that had settled on nearly everything in the room- the exceptions being the dresser and the small desk situated by the window. Craig crouched down beside the bed, examining it from the side, feeling something twist inside him as he realized that the bed spread, too, was dusty.

Craig fell back into a sitting position, his legs splayed out as a certain scenario dawned on him. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself and his quickening thoughts.

As calmly as he could, he stood up and walked back into Evan's room, surveying the room. He couldn't work himself up without any hard evidence, not this time.

Then, he was hit with a sickening realization as he began to recognize more and more of the clothes that were scattered about and piled together in some kind of organizational system he assumed was Evan's. He backed up into the hallway, staring down at where Evan was still knocked out- probably for hours, maybe a day or two- and really looked at him and what he was wearing.

Brian's hoodie. He was wearing Brian's hoodie.

He tucked Evan's journal into the back of his jeans as a flood of indescribable rage washed over him. His worst fears had come true right under his nose.

Brian and Evan. Brian. Evan. BrianandEvan. Together. How long were they together?

Still gripping the meat tenderizer, Craig grabbed Evan, this time by his arms (still being careful with his cast) and dragged him back towards the area he had previously been in. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he knew he'd need space for it.

What remained of Evan's phone crunched under his feet as he circled the body, clutching the utensil so tightly his knuckles had begun to turn white.

"You think I have problems? Meanwhile you're parading around with my Brian behind my fucking back? Were you fucking laughing at me, too?" He yelled even though Evan couldn't hear him. Craig fell into a crouch, grabbing a fistful of Evan's hair and lifting his head closer to his own. "Trying to make me look crazy for your own sick entertainment, huh? Well, look where it fucking got you, Ev." He let his head fall to the floor, standing up and turning away. "Look where it fucking got you!" He screamed, pouring every ounce of venom he could into his words and circling the body once again. Craig had never felt so angry before. His stare-down turned into a scheming glare as he paused once he reached Evan's waist.

He can't tell anyone what he knows if he doesn't remember, the thought popped into his head as calmly as it could, gently floating in from whatever abyss his thoughts came from. And if he doesn't remember...then he'll forget all about Brian.

Once again, Craig lowered himself, this time crawling across Evan's torso until he was fully straddling him.

Carefully, he reached out a hand, brushing it against Evan's cheek, caressing his face. Evan looked so peaceful. So serene. He closed his eyes, faintly wondering if things could've been different...if Evan wasn't with Brian...

He gave a quick shake of his head, snapping out of his thoughts. "Fuck you." He spat out, the anger coming back to Craig in a surge of pure adrenaline.

Craig raised the meat tenderizer once again.