Chase after Mitch.

Mitch was not only your co-worker but a good friend. If there was an issue or a possible misunderstanding, you wanted it squashed right away. Potentially losing him was devastating, especially since he was your only friend at the Auction House. You find your briefs, put on your pants, and chase after Mitch. You see him leave through the backdoor and quickly follow suit. The brisk evening air was a nice change from the warm perfume-filled parlor. As you feel light cold drizzles fall on your naked torso, it feels oddly cleansing. You spot Mitch sitting next to a garbage can, about to light a smoke. He hears you approach but does not respond. He doesn't even offer you a smoke like he usually does and only lights his own. The usual grin on his face is also gone. You don't think you've ever seen him so expressionless now that you think about it. It saddens you to think that you caused this.

Mitch; drunk and upset.

"Hey." You walk over and stand next to him but he shies away. He pretends you're not even there and continues smoking long clouds of nicotine. "Sorry if what you saw upset you. Was probably shocking to see your friend and brother like that."

Mitch scoffs as he draws another pull. "Friend, huh?"

"Aren't we friends?"

He shakes his head and stamps out the embers of his smoke. "You know, it's always like this."

"Always like what?"

"Like this! Whatever the fuck I try to do, my brother is always there, one step ahead of me." He slams the trashcan beside him and it crashes down, tumbling down the empty alleyway. "I should have never fucking told him. I thought he changed. But even after all these years, he's still pulling the same shit."

You quietly watch Mitch decompress. His shoulders are high and tense, his hands shaking as he pulls out another cigarette. He slowly faces you and raises an eyebrow, "I wanted to run the bar when my dad got sick, did you know that?" You shake your head and he continues. "I was good with customers. Kept the rowdy ones in check, treated the regulars like family. It was the one thing I had over Benji, you know? Being good with people. Being likable. So my dad wanted me to be the face of the bar, run it as he would. But Benji being Benji, he couldn't have that. Always the star of the family, always the center of attention. He told dad I shouldn't be running the family business cause I can't read, that I would fuck up the numbers and run the place down. Can you believe that shit?" You can't tell if his skin is flushed from the ****, the cold, or his bubbling emotions. He wipes his eyes and steadies himself before continuing.

"So when dad passed he entrusted the place to Benji. And he fucking hates the bar. It's all he'd talk about, ever since we were little. While dad busted ass sending him to that god-awful apprenticeship, he throws that away to come back? For what exactly? Why the fuck would he do that? To take the one thing in life I wanted; just to spite me? And if that wasn't enough he takes you too. Fuck." Mitch stares up at the flickering red lanterns. For a while, the two of you just sit there, watching the fire moths dance around the light. He then looks at you and smiles again, tears rolling down his pink cheeks.

"It's always like this, yeah? Whatever I want that bastard takes."

You don't know how to respond. Do you say you didn't know? Do you tell him having sex with his brother meant nothing? That you didn't know he had feelings for you? All of those were true but also lies. Half-truths, all shrouded by uncertainties and misconceptions. But if you knew anything it was that you wanted Mitch to be happy. Whatever bottled-up trauma and frustration he had towards his brother and family, you wanted it gone. Not knowing what to say, you lean in to kiss him. His lips taste salty from the tears but bittersweet from the smoke. Mitch continues crying but you can tell he wants it as he wraps his arms around your bare chest. Your tongues slip past each other's lips as your one hand cradles his tear-stricken face. You eventually break apart, not knowing whether to pursue this further.

Choice 3: Keeping going and pursue a romantic/sexual relationship with Mitch or End it here and tell him you want to remain good friends.