Dragonstone Tablet

The acrid tang of spilled beer hung heavy in the air, a sickly counterpoint to the hollering crowd around the battered pool table. Johnny, his usually easy grin replaced by a snarl, slammed his cue down, the impact echoing like a gunshot.

"You serious, Vin?" he barked, his voice tight. "Again?"

I stared at the eight ball stubbornly lodged in the corner pocket, the winning shot I'd just sunk. My stomach clenched. "What's your problem, Johnny?"

"My problem?" He shoved himself away from the table, towering over me. "My problem is you pulling the same lucky shot every damn time!"

Lucky? This shot was the result of years of practice, honed nights spent hunched over a pool table, the click of racked balls a familiar lullaby. But Johnny, bless his heart, never had the patience for finesse.

"Luck?" I scoffed. "This is skill, Johnny. Pure skill."

"Yeah, right," he spat, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Lucky Vincent, the pool shark extraordinaire."

A spark ignited in my chest, a flicker of annoyance morphing into something hotter. "You calling me a cheat?"

"Maybe the balls just like you more, Vin," he sneered.

The laughter that bubbled up from the surrounding crowd was the last straw. My fists clenched, the world narrowing down to Johnny's smug face. Before I could think, I lunged.

It wasn't a ballet of violence, expertly choreographed like something out of a movie. It was a clumsy mess of flailing limbs and grunts, fueled by years of unspoken frustrations bubbling to the surface. My fist connected with Johnny's jaw, the satisfying crack momentarily drowned out by the roar of the crowd. He stumbled back, a hand flying to his cheek, his eyes blazing with a fury that mirrored my own.

Then, the world seemed to slow. We were in the center of a circle, the jeering crowd replaced by stunned silence. Shame washed over me, cold and unwelcome. This wasn't some bar brawl with a stranger; this was Johnny, my friend. My best friend since childhood, the guy who'd been by my side through thick and thin.

As if mirroring my realization, Johnny's anger seemed to dissipate. He ran a hand through his hair, his breath ragged. A flicker of something akin to pain crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by a rueful smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Well," he rasped, his voice thick. "That escalated quickly."

The tension bled out of me, replaced by a wave of nausea. I reached out a hand, the simple gesture feeling monumental in the aftermath. "Yeah," I mumbled, my voice hoarse. "Let's just... call it a draw, alright?"

He stared at my hand for a beat, then took it with a sigh. The grip was firm, a silent promise that somehow transcended words. The crowd, sensing the shift, erupted in cheers. We pulled apart, the echo of the fight lingering in the air, a stark reminder of the fragile threads that bound friendship.

The walk out of the smoky bar was heavy with unspoken words. Johnny rubbed his jaw gingerly, his wince a silent apology. We usually ended our nights here, with beers and boisterous laughter echoing off the neon-lit walls. Tonight, the air crackled with a tension that threatened to reignite the fight.

Silence stretched between us, punctuated only by the rhythmic click of my heels against the pavement. I stole a glance at Johnny. His face was bruised, a testament to my impulsive anger. Shame gnawed at me. How could I have let things get so out of control?

"Hey," Johnny finally said, his voice rough. "About that last shot..."

A beat of surprised silence. "What about it?"

"Maybe it was a little lucky," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "But hey, a win's a win, right?"

The corner of my mouth quirked up. A silent truce, sealed with a shared joke. Relief washed over me, warm and welcome. "Right," I said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Although, next time, try a little less luck and a little more skill."

He snorted. "Yeah, yeah, rub it in."

We walked on, the comfortable silence settling back between us. It wasn't the easiest night, but maybe, just maybe, it was what our friendship needed. A messy brawl, a shared apology, and the unspoken reminder that even the strongest bonds needed a little TLC sometimes.