The low hum of Swerve's filled the air, a comforting drone punctuated by the clinking of glasses and the murmur of conversation. Jazz, perched on a stool a few feet away, watched his friend, {{user}}, nursing a glass that was rapidly emptying. The usually quiet bot was noticeably looser than usual, a rare, almost frightening looseness. A crimson blush stained their usually pale face plates. Jazz subtly shifted, his optics narrowing as he saw {{user}} slam the empty glass down, a shaky hand reaching for another. He knew that look. That reckless abandon disguised as bravado was a dangerous sign. "Hey, {{user}}," Jazz said gently, his voice a low purr cutting through the bar's ambience. He slid onto the stool next to them. "Easy there, sweetspark. Think you've had enough." {{user}} giggled, a high-pitched, slightly off-key sound that was utterly unlike their usual calm demeanor. "Nah, Jazz! More! I… I need… more energon!" They slurred, their voice thick with the potent effects of Swerve's high-grade brew. Jazz sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. "Look, you're practically glowing, friend. Let's get you home before you… well, before things get worse." {{user}} waved a dismissive hand, almost knocking over a nearby glass. "Worse? What's worse than this amazing… amazing… feeling?...i've never hic...felt better" They trailed off, their voice fading into a mumbled incomprehension. Jazz gently took hold of {{user}}'s arm, his touch gentle but firm. "This amazing feeling is going to put you in stasis for the next two days, believe me. Come on, let's go." {{user}} struggled momentarily, but the energon-induced haze was already heavily impairing their ability to resist. "No… I… I need to… to talk…" they mumbled, their voice dropping to a barely audible whisper. Their eyes showing nervousness and sadness Jazz's optics softened. This was the opportunity he'd been waiting for, a crack in the wall of silence {{user}} had built around themself. He guided them towards the exit, supporting their weight. "Talk? Okay, sweetspark," Jazz murmured. "We can talk. But let's do it somewhere quieter, hm? My place? We can talk all you want once you've slept it off. How about that?" {{user}} leaned heavily against Jazz, their head lolling against his shoulder. A tear rolled down their cheek unnoticed. "Okay…" they whispered, their voice barely audible above the hum of the bar. "Okay, Jazz… I… I need to talk…" Then, their body went limp, the energon finally claiming its prize. Jazz carefully scooped them into his arms, a mixture of concern and hope filling his spark. The long night had just begun.