Playlist: Drunk - Ed Sheeran, I Hate You, I Love You - Gnash

The blonde, young man marched towards the still unfamiliar pub. It just didn't feel like home but his friend had intended to meet there time and time again. Cursing, because he just had a long drive, he opened the heavy wooden door. It creaked underneath his forceful arms. Not a lot of people payed attention to him, it was still afternoon. Most of them were off to work.

His eyes scanned the dark room. This pub looked like the one back in South London but it had a different vibe. When he finally spotted his bearded friend, not far from the small television in the corner, his feet dragged him towards the table. "You look like shit."

"Thanks dickhead." Fred spoke, raising his eyebrows as Jared playfully patted his shoulder.

"I hate this pub by the way, it's not the same."

"Whatever." Fred replied, taking out his pack of cigarettes and lighting one up.

"I don't think you can smoke in here." Jared eyed the cancerstick in his friend's mouth, watching as he inhaled the smoke.

"They don't care over here." He shrugged. He raised his glass of empty scotch towards the middleaged bartender, implying that he wanted two more.

"It's the middle of the afternoon on a wednesday, don't you have to work?" Jared questioned. He hadn't seen Fred as much as he wanted to these last few months. He knew how much the dark haired man struggled with Evee and he wanted to be there for him but he wasn't really making it very easy on him.

Somehow Fred never wanted to speak of his blonde ex-neighbour. Jared knew he was troubled, he had seen it for months now, every time he looked a little worse. The bags underneath his eyes always matching his troubled expression.

Fred shrugged, mumbling a thanks when the bartender put the drinks down on the table, not caring that he was smoking inside.

"Come on man, if you miss her that much just call her. When's the last time you heard from Evee?" Jared spoke, watching how his friend nearly cringed at the sound of her name.

"It doesn't matter." Fred mumbled again, not wanting to speak of her.

"Did you call her for New Year?"

"No."

"Why not? You obviously miss her." Jared replied.

"Well, she doesn't miss me so it doesn't matter."

"Of course she misses you, Fred. Stop being such an ignorant pain in the ass and call her." Jared spoke harshly, sipping from the scotch, scrunching his nose at the taste. "How many of these have you had, this is strong."

"Doesn't matter."

"Too many obviously." Jared mumbled, almost rolling his eyes at his friend.

"'S none of your business."

"I didn't come here to hear you whine. Pick your ass up, call her and stop sulking for crying out loud. You know just as much as I do that she misses you too. You guys were tight."

"We were tight. Were. I haven't heard from her in half a year. Since her birthday."

Jared was surprised. He didn't think their friendship had gotten this bad. If he could still call it a friendship in the first place. He always knew Evee liked Fred more than just friends, he called Fred out on it a couple of times when she wasn't around. He tried to convince him to step up the plate and not mess around with her anymore but Fred always liked the way they were. Careless and fun.

Jared knew it wouldn't last, one way or another, one of them would develop feelings and things would go downhill. Evee had handled the situation with much grace, she liked Fred but she had agreed on no relationship so she held her promise. When finally she met Harry, Fred lost his cool. Totally uncalled for, that's what Jared thought. Fred had plenty of chances and he blew those. Jared was glad that Evee was finally happy but he couldn't stand to see his friend in misery. "Sorry man." Jared spoke, eyeing him. "Try getting over her, won't you? It's no use she's happy with him."

"You seriously don't think it'll last, right?" Fre chuckled, emptying his glass once again. "'S not how Evee is."

"Fred, they're seriously in love, Chloe sai-"

"Fuck Chloe and her stupid nun thoughts. She needs to get laid and stop feeding off the attention she's getting for being Evee's friend."

"I think you need to lay off the booze for a while man, I don-"

Fred interrupted him again, pointing his empty glass in the air. "They're not going to last mark my words, in a couple of months he'll be hugging another ex of his. Evee will get sick of them telling her what to do all the time, you'll see. She's not the type to listen or be pushed in one category, she's more than that."

"Maybe that's why they like her that much, Fred. The people really like her. I mean, have you seen the papers? She's a perfect fit according to them."

"Fuck them, fuck the people, fuck the palace. They don't know her like I fucking do." His speak was slightly starting to slur. "Fuck him and his white horse. It won't last."

"You need to stop it Fred. Fuck thousands of girls for all I care, but you need to get over her somehow. It's time. It's been eight months. They're not breaking up and she's doing a good job with being part of royalty, against all the odds, even I'll admit that. Let her be happy."

"She might be happy now but it'll pass, J, I know it will." Fred looked up at his friend from underneath his long eyelashes. "He doesn't know her like I do. He won't be able to make her happy."

"Well, he's doing a darn good job at the moment." Jared spoke, taking a big gulp from his drink. He didn't need Fred talking shit about his friend. He could see how Harry made her happy and he accepted their relationship. Jared thought it was time that Fred did that as well.

"You need to shut up, you know that." Fred challengely spoke.

"I didn't get stuck into traffic to just hear you whine about Eveline once again. And I definitely didn't come here to hear your big mouth. Notch down the drinking and watch your tone."

"If you don't like it, you can leave for all I care, asshole. Everybody does these days anyways."

Jared stood up abruptly, the chair scratching the floor loudly. He pointed his finger at Fred, it wasn't the first time the man had raised his big filthy tone on him. "Go home and sober up. And get yourself together forfucksake."

"Fuck off J"

"I'm leaving. Call me when you're sober. No wait, call me when you finally stop being a dickhead. I get that you are struggling, but it's selfish. You have had your chance. She's happy now. Let it be. I'll talk to you when you finally realize that." Jared took his coat of his chair and threw it around his shoulders.

Marching his feet towards the door he could hear Fred shouting at him, "You still need to fucking pay for your scotch asshole!"

Jared didn't even reply, opening the pub's door the sunlight hit him in the face. He knew it wasn't right to leave his friend in misery. He knew Fred didn't mean it but god he was getting so sick of their conversations. It always ended up about one subject; a certain blonde nurse. Jared loved Evee, he did, but he was sick of Fred's lovesick words about her. He'd call Fred tomorrow. Right now, he just couldn't deal with it.

Inside the pub, Fred groaned. His handpalms rubbing his forehead. He could feel the slight buzz from the four scotches already and it was only 1pm. The sun was shining and here he was, drinking over the same girl once again. It didn't matter how many blondes he took home, they never had the same green, kind eyes. They never had that beaming smile or barking laughter. He always compaired them and for some reason his brain always pointed out their faults. The main problem just being, 'it's not Evee'.

He thought his ears deceived him when the sound of the television caught his attention. Carefuly turning his eyes towards the screen, his brain still running in slowmotion, he thought he could hear her name.

"The palace confirmed the couple's engagement. The wedding will take place in March 2018. The Belgian blonde beauty-"

He could see their pictures on the screen, paparazzi pictures of course, but happy ones none the less. She was beaming in his eyes and he looked at her like she was the best thing in the whole wide world. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he just couldn't believe it. Staring wide mouthed at the screen, the words just didn't register.

His Evee was getting married? He asked Evee to become his wife. His wife. That was a vow you took for life, for life.

Until death parts you.

She was marrying a prince. His ex-lover was going to be a princess. Funny, free spirited Evee was going to be a duchess. The woman he loved was going to marry Prince Harry.

Prince fucking Harry.

A rich fucking ginger.

Fred couldn't believe it.

The bartender looked at the young man staring at the television screen, "She's a real pretty one isn't she? They seem to be happy." The man shrugged, speaking towards the tattoed man gulping down the remains of his last scotch in shock. "Are you alright?"

Fred eyed the bartender, "Fucking brilliant."