FIC: Mirror!Pinto Chapter 5c
Mirror!Pinto Series: Dark Desires
Chapter 5c: Touch what is mine
Summary: Zach gets hurt again, and it's Chris' fault. Whoever did this will pay for it, Chris will make sure of that. And he has help.
Rating: Explicit/NC-17
Warnings: violence, hurt, angst, explicit sex (I hope - see Author's Notes)
Word Count: ~ 3.000
Disclaimer: Seriously? Not mine, never will be. Work of fiction, yadda yadda. *sob* The OCs in here are mine though, I made them, they are mine. Mine mine mine. My preciousssesss... so there. Everybody else is not. The OCs are mine. The others aren't. Got it? ;-P
Additional pairings: John/Anton, Karl/Chris/Zach (dammit - see Author's Notes)
Betaed by wolfhaton , who has a cold and deserves even more love than usual. Get well soon, okay bb??? Any remaining mistakes are mine, especially since English is not my native tongue.
A/N: The first working title for this was "K/C/Z threesome fic (dammit)". The second working title was "Threesome fic a.k.a. WTF suddenly plot again". Yeah. I really really wanted to write that threesome, just some kinky pron and stuff, and then... plot happened. Again. *sigh* Erm. Sorry? Also, cliffhanger. But I think you already expected that...
A/N2 for this part: Have another OC. Sorry about that, it just... happened. Feel free to forget her after this part, she will not reappear.
Again, sorry for the lack of... action in this part. More Zach will come soon, I promise.
Series Masterpost with all previous and following chapters and summaries for all parts.
FANMIX byangelrox040 is here.
Chapter 5c: Touch what is mine
Now - Chris
Chris really wasn’t happy with Karl coming over to help, but now that he’s here, he’s glad for it - the ex-cop with his insight and experience certainly comes in handy. Karl is objective and neutral while Chris has trouble unclenching his fists and focusing his thoughts on the suspects and away from Zach’s pale face.
Karl sits at the table, making a list of the possible candidates who could have done this while Chris paces the living room and does his best to answer Karl’s many questions. Together they manage to narrow the list down to about 20 names. Then Chris can’t take it anymore and refuses to answer another question about what he has been up to in the last two years. Karl sits there calmly and watches him pace, and when Chris decides he really really needs to hit someone right now he doesn’t complain, just gets up and follows him out of the house.
They are silent on the drive. Chris clutches the steering wheel and doesn’t look at Karl, who watches him quietly. A song starts playing on the radio, some 90s pop song that Zach likes, and Chris twists the off-button so hard it breaks off. He throws it onto the floor and curses loudly, Karl doesn’t say a word.
Chris drives faster and sneaks a look at him. Karl is looking out of the window now, a contemplative frown on his face. Chris licks his lips and focuses back on the street. Karl is silent. Chris raps his knuckles on the steering wheel and sighs.
“Thanks, Karl. For coming with me.”
“No problem, kid.”
Chris sees Karl’s head turn in the corner of his eye, but he doesn’t look back at him. “I mean it, thanks. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Least I can do, after all that you and Zach have done for me.”
He hears the smile in Karl’s voice and nods in acceptance. They are silent again for a minute. Chris’ gut churns hotly. He clenches his fingers on the wheel and glares out into the night. “I swear, when I find the bastard who did this, I’ll… That fucker’s gonna regret every second of what he did to Zach.”
Karl growls under his breath. “Yeah, we’ll make him pay.” Chris looks over, slightly surprised by the amount of anger in Karl’s voice. Sure, he knows Zach and they got along pretty well every time he and Chris visited Karl at Joe’s, still, he hasn’t expected Karl to take it quite this personally. The ex-cop is staring at him, jaw clenched and fists balled. They look at each other for a moment, then Chris nods and lets it go. He’s glad Karl is with him, and angry Karl is even better. Sure won’t get in his way when Chris gets… messy.
The first name on their list is Randall Wilkins, a guy Chris hunted down six months ago. He’s known for violence and his fondness of knives, plus he tried to stab Chris when he took him, so he seems like a very likely candidate. He used to hang at this rotten bar and Chris really hopes he’ll be there today. He can’t wait to smash his fists into the fucker’s face. Maybe Wilkins is the one responsible, wouldn’t that be sweet… and if Wilkins tries to use his precious blades on him again, even better. Chris knows a trick or two with knives himself. Zach loves watching him practice, and the one time he’d let him try a new blade on his stomach, and… Chris shakes his head and focuses on driving. Better not think about this now.
But the memory of Zach lying on their bed with thin red lines across his pale flesh won’t leave him alone, and now he remembers Zach in the hospital earlier, so pale, and that bloody spot on the bandage over his stomach, and now Chris feels sick. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Chris has a dangerous job, he’s gotten hurt more times than he can count, but he doesn’t care if it’s him. But not Zach, his lover isn’t supposed to get hurt. He has to be healthy and whole, he can’t get hurt. Zach’s precious. It shouldn’t have happened, not to Zach.
“I went to see him in the hospital. I didn’t stay, I couldn’t…” Chris breaks off and huffs a frustrated breath. His throat feels tight again and he swallows around the lump. Karl is watching him, he can tell. Chris blinks a few times and squares his jaw. “He looked so pale. I couldn’t stand to see him like this, so…”
“I know, kid, I know. Hurts, doesn’t it?”
Karl’s voice sounds weary and old. Chris flinches slightly as he realizes what he’s said, and to whom. Jesus, Natalie. “Karl, I didn’t mean to…”
“No, it’s okay. I just meant I know how you feel, I wasn’t… I get it.” Karl’s smile is more of a grimace when Chris looks at him and winces in apology. Karl shakes his head, his eyes anguished. “Forget it.”
Chris bites his lips and they are silent for a few seconds before Karl speaks again. “And Chris… I couldn’t help Natalie and the kids, but I’ll do my damn best to help you and yours. Nobody should get hurt because of us, it’s not… it’s not right.”
Chris swears softly. “I never meant for Zach to get hurt because of my job, I never…”
Suddenly Karl’s hand is on his shoulder and squeezes firmly. Chris looks at him quickly, then away again. The understanding and sympathy in Karl’s face is too much for him to handle right now, he can’t, he…
“Chris, hey, hey. It’s not your fault, okay? This didn’t happen because of your job or what you did. You didn’t hurt Zach, someone else did, this is that bastard’s fault and not yours. Never yours, okay? Don’t blame yourself, blame whoever did this. You hear me, kid? It wasn’t your fault.”
“You really believe that?” Chris turns his head and looks at him. Karl stares back, face serious and melancholic, and his eyes are dark and empty.
“Not yet. But I think someday I will.”
The rest of their drive is silent.
Joe
The doctor asks question after question while Joe clenches his teeth and does his best to answer them calmly. Yes, Zach works at a strip club. No, he’s not a whore and yes, Joe does take offense at the implication. Yes, he’s the only family Zach has left and no, he has absolutely no fucking idea who might have done this and why, but he imagines they’ll find out soon. No, he doesn’t want to leave that to the police and fuck no, he doesn’t want to talk to them. His baby brother is lying in a hospital bed, and Joe will be fucked if he wants to leave him now.
The doc gets offended and babbles about protocol and proper ways of dealing with this and Joe has finally enough of the doctor’s questions. All it takes is a nod at Hammer and the annoying man is bodily removed from the room. Good man, Hammer. Joe closes the door while he and Hotspur stand guard outside and slumps in the chair next to Zach’s bed. Finally alone.
He sighs heavily and looks at his brother. Zach is so quiet. And he looks so small… Like he did back when he was 9 and Joe found him hiding inside their Mom’s bedroom some days after her funeral, cheeks wet and nose bloody. He’d taken him to the bathroom, cleaned him up and let him sleep in his bed, clutching the small frame close and listened to his brother’s silent sobs with his jaw clenched tight so he wouldn’t cry himself. He’d sworn back then to protect his brother at all costs, keep him safe from any harm. The next day he’d shown Zach some fighting tricks and the boy who’d bloodied Zach’s nose had soon learned not to touch him again.
Now though… now Joe can’t just let Zach sleep in his bed and teach him some dirty tricks to make it all better. This time it doesn’t work this way. Joe looks at his brother, at the bloody bandage and grinds his teeth. This time it’s serious.
He gets up and paces the room, pausing every now and then to look at Zach, watch the slow rise and fall of his chest. Whoever did this… whoever did this has to pay. Joe wasn’t there to protect Zach this time, he broke his oath, but he’ll be damned if he won’t help to make that bastard suffer. Chris is out there right now, looking for the fucker that hurt his baby brother, and as soon as he finds out, Joe will be there. He might not be an expert with knives and guns like his brother’s lover is, but he knows some tricks of his own. And he’s gonna use them all.
Not now, though. Now he has to stay here, with Zach. His baby brother shouldn’t be alone right now, and Joe will stay and keep him company. Chris isn’t here, but Joe is. Even if he’s itching to do something himself, he’s not leaving, he’ll stay. Sit at Zach’s side and protect him. And when Zach wakes up he’ll be there, tell him about Chris and keep him from worrying. Watch over him and wait.
Alex
It’s a slow night at the bar and she’s polishing glasses because she has nothing else to do. A couple of regulars are shooting pool in the corner and some new folks are sitting at a table far from the bar, but otherwise the place is empty. Alex rolls her eyes when Dick makes the juke box play “Beautiful Day” by U2 and shakes her head when he tries to get her to dance with him. One of the regulars over at the pool table yells something vaguely threatening across the room and Dick, with a bright red face, changes the song quickly before he scurries behind the safety of the bar.
Alex snorts a laugh. Kid won’t make it here long if he doesn’t watch it, but at least he’s smart enough not to upset the regulars even more. Crazy and dangerous people, some of them, she’s seen it. Lynyrd Skynyrd now sounds through the bar and she nods in time with the beat. Much better, and the regulars approve, too. She tells Dick to get a new barrel out of the backroom and he scurries off with while she snorts in amusement. At least he’s eager, if not especially bright. Alex goes back to polishing the glasses. Slow night tonight.
The door opens and she squints through the semi-darkness at the two figures standing in the entry way. One of them stays near the door and the other walks up to the bar, and now she recognizes him.
“Pine. Long time no see. What can I get you? We have some really amazing German beer this week, imported. You want to try? It’s on the house, coz you haven’t been around so long, oh, and for your friend, too, of course.”
Alex realizes she’s babbling and quickly shuts her mouth, before she embarrasses herself further. Jesus, he looks good. All fierce and dangerous, and that leather jacket, and his friend isn’t so bad either. But Pine, damn, he’s hot, and now he’s looking at her and she clutches the rag to her chest and feels herself blush hotly. Oh, those eyes! And now Pine is leaning on the bar and gets really close to her face and she feels a tingle down there. She’d like nothing more than to take him back to her place and let him make her tingle some more, and maybe his friend could come too, wouldn’t that be fun? Oh yes, it would, so much fun… Why oh why does he have to be gay? All the good ones are either… Oh, Pine is talking. What is he saying?
“… maybe some other time, though. Any idea where I could find him?”
“Huh?” Alex knows she’s staring, and she has no idea what Pine was just talking about. But those lips are inches from her face and how is she supposed to listen when she’s imagining that face between her legs?
“Nevermind.” Pine has been looking around the room and now those lips curve into a dangerous smile. “I see him.”
Alex watches him walk over to the pool table and swallows. Damn, he looks good. And those tight pants! It’s really a shame that Pine’s not into women, else she’d hit that so fast she’d break the sound barrier. She sighs and pities herself and all women on this planet. What a loss for them all… The guy that came with Pine drifts closer and she rips her eyes away from Pine’s ass as he settles on a chair at the bar.
“I’ll take a glass of that German beer, honey.”
“Sure,” she murmurs and goes about pouring it absently, still watching Pine, who’s now talking to one of the regulars. Wilkins, she thinks, yeah, that’s the guy’s name. Pine seems angry, maybe Wilkins owes him money? Wilkins certainly doesn’t seem to be glad to see him. Alex hands Pine’s friend the beer and watches, biting her lip. Yeah, they are both angry, and now Pine slams Wilkins against the wall. Jesus, are they about to fight? Pine does some complicated move and has Wilkins’ arm twisted behind his back. The others surrounding the pool table laugh and focus back on their game. Wilkins lets out a pained groan while Pine whispers something in his ear and Alex creeps closer along the bar, trying to listen in. Wow, Pine is strong! And now he’s marching Wilkins towards the back door, pity. She’d love to see some more of that action, Pine sure looks hot when he’s shoving people around who are twice his size. Pine’s friend is gesticulating at her for a refill and she sighs and complies. Pity.
She’s just handed the guy his new beer, he takes a large sip and murmurs appreciatively, when Dick runs up, wide-eyed and panting slightly.
“There’s a tiny guy beating up a really large guy out back! Should we, dunno, call the police or, or an ambulance?”
Pine’s friend chuckles and takes another sip. “Not if you value your balls where they are, boy.” He clicks his tongue and tilts his head as he savors the taste. He doesn’t seem to be concerned at all that Pine is out there alone with Wilkins who’s a giant and has a lot of knives, so Alex decides she isn’t, either.
Dick looks between her and Pine’s friend and shifts on his feet worriedly. Alex sighs and shakes her head at Dick. “Let them be. Whatever it’s about, I’m sure Wilkins deserves it.”
Dick nods reluctantly, but still looks unsettled and worried. Boy won’t last long in this bar; She gives him another four weeks until one of the bikers scares him off for good. Better for him, maybe, she thinks, but then she’ll have to look for a new employee again. She sighs and decides to think about it later. Dick takes the broom and starts cleaning the floor half-heartedly, still eyeing the back door. Pine’s friend drinks his beer and nods at the taste, and Alex turns back to polishing glasses. Slow night tonight.
Maybe half an hour passes before the back door opens again. Pine walks back in, using a piece of cloth to clean his hands, the cloth has dark stains on it. Alex rolls her eyes at Dick’s shocked gasp, make that two weeks until he runs. She taps another beer and sets it in front of Pine as he steps up to the bar next to his friend. He gives her an absent nod in thanks and drowns the beer in two large swallows. The friend eyes him.
“No luck?”
“No. He’s not our guy. Fuck.” Pine slams the glass onto the bar and curses under his breath. The friend pats his back and gets up from his chair.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”
Pine sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Yeah.”
His friend smiles. “We have some more names on that list. We’ll find him and then you can show him what a big mistake he made.”
Pine smiles back, shows sharp teeth and Alex flinches a little at his expression. “Yeah, I’ll make him pay.”
Pine nods slightly and she shrinks back, unsettled by the fury and rage in his eyes. He looks like some kind of predator, like a shark, and she doesn’t know if she should be scared or turned on by the look on his face. Jesus.
Pine walks out of the bar without looking back and his friend follows him after throwing some money on the counter. “Good beer”, he says and walks off. Alex stares after them, half-aware of Dick hovering close and exuding worry and fear. She shakes her head slowly and tells him to check on Wilkins out in the back, looks like they’ll need to call an ambulance after all.
Fuck, whoever did something to piss Pine off, Alex hopes he was smart enough to run fast and far. She certainly wouldn’t want to get in his way when he looks like that. Dangerous, lethal. And hot.
Alex sighs and puts the used glasses into the dishwasher. Lynyrd Skynyrd has ended, Blue Öyster Cult are playing now. Alex hums along to “Vengeance”, one of her favorite songs, and picks up a new glass to polish. The regulars are laughing about their pool game and the new folk are whispering about what just happened. Slow night tonight.
Next part is here.
Chapter 5c: Touch what is mine
Summary: Zach gets hurt again, and it's Chris' fault. Whoever did this will pay for it, Chris will make sure of that. And he has help.
Rating: Explicit/NC-17
Warnings: violence, hurt, angst, explicit sex (I hope - see Author's Notes)
Word Count: ~ 3.000
Disclaimer: Seriously? Not mine, never will be. Work of fiction, yadda yadda. *sob* The OCs in here are mine though, I made them, they are mine. Mine mine mine. My preciousssesss... so there. Everybody else is not. The OCs are mine. The others aren't. Got it? ;-P
Additional pairings: John/Anton, Karl/Chris/Zach (dammit - see Author's Notes)
Betaed by wolfhaton , who has a cold and deserves even more love than usual. Get well soon, okay bb??? Any remaining mistakes are mine, especially since English is not my native tongue.
A/N: The first working title for this was "K/C/Z threesome fic (dammit)". The second working title was "Threesome fic a.k.a. WTF suddenly plot again". Yeah. I really really wanted to write that threesome, just some kinky pron and stuff, and then... plot happened. Again. *sigh* Erm. Sorry? Also, cliffhanger. But I think you already expected that...
A/N2 for this part: Have another OC. Sorry about that, it just... happened. Feel free to forget her after this part, she will not reappear.
Again, sorry for the lack of... action in this part. More Zach will come soon, I promise.
Series Masterpost with all previous and following chapters and summaries for all parts.
FANMIX byangelrox040 is here.
Chapter 5c: Touch what is mine
Now - Chris
Chris really wasn’t happy with Karl coming over to help, but now that he’s here, he’s glad for it - the ex-cop with his insight and experience certainly comes in handy. Karl is objective and neutral while Chris has trouble unclenching his fists and focusing his thoughts on the suspects and away from Zach’s pale face.
Karl sits at the table, making a list of the possible candidates who could have done this while Chris paces the living room and does his best to answer Karl’s many questions. Together they manage to narrow the list down to about 20 names. Then Chris can’t take it anymore and refuses to answer another question about what he has been up to in the last two years. Karl sits there calmly and watches him pace, and when Chris decides he really really needs to hit someone right now he doesn’t complain, just gets up and follows him out of the house.
They are silent on the drive. Chris clutches the steering wheel and doesn’t look at Karl, who watches him quietly. A song starts playing on the radio, some 90s pop song that Zach likes, and Chris twists the off-button so hard it breaks off. He throws it onto the floor and curses loudly, Karl doesn’t say a word.
Chris drives faster and sneaks a look at him. Karl is looking out of the window now, a contemplative frown on his face. Chris licks his lips and focuses back on the street. Karl is silent. Chris raps his knuckles on the steering wheel and sighs.
“Thanks, Karl. For coming with me.”
“No problem, kid.”
Chris sees Karl’s head turn in the corner of his eye, but he doesn’t look back at him. “I mean it, thanks. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Least I can do, after all that you and Zach have done for me.”
He hears the smile in Karl’s voice and nods in acceptance. They are silent again for a minute. Chris’ gut churns hotly. He clenches his fingers on the wheel and glares out into the night. “I swear, when I find the bastard who did this, I’ll… That fucker’s gonna regret every second of what he did to Zach.”
Karl growls under his breath. “Yeah, we’ll make him pay.” Chris looks over, slightly surprised by the amount of anger in Karl’s voice. Sure, he knows Zach and they got along pretty well every time he and Chris visited Karl at Joe’s, still, he hasn’t expected Karl to take it quite this personally. The ex-cop is staring at him, jaw clenched and fists balled. They look at each other for a moment, then Chris nods and lets it go. He’s glad Karl is with him, and angry Karl is even better. Sure won’t get in his way when Chris gets… messy.
The first name on their list is Randall Wilkins, a guy Chris hunted down six months ago. He’s known for violence and his fondness of knives, plus he tried to stab Chris when he took him, so he seems like a very likely candidate. He used to hang at this rotten bar and Chris really hopes he’ll be there today. He can’t wait to smash his fists into the fucker’s face. Maybe Wilkins is the one responsible, wouldn’t that be sweet… and if Wilkins tries to use his precious blades on him again, even better. Chris knows a trick or two with knives himself. Zach loves watching him practice, and the one time he’d let him try a new blade on his stomach, and… Chris shakes his head and focuses on driving. Better not think about this now.
But the memory of Zach lying on their bed with thin red lines across his pale flesh won’t leave him alone, and now he remembers Zach in the hospital earlier, so pale, and that bloody spot on the bandage over his stomach, and now Chris feels sick. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Chris has a dangerous job, he’s gotten hurt more times than he can count, but he doesn’t care if it’s him. But not Zach, his lover isn’t supposed to get hurt. He has to be healthy and whole, he can’t get hurt. Zach’s precious. It shouldn’t have happened, not to Zach.
“I went to see him in the hospital. I didn’t stay, I couldn’t…” Chris breaks off and huffs a frustrated breath. His throat feels tight again and he swallows around the lump. Karl is watching him, he can tell. Chris blinks a few times and squares his jaw. “He looked so pale. I couldn’t stand to see him like this, so…”
“I know, kid, I know. Hurts, doesn’t it?”
Karl’s voice sounds weary and old. Chris flinches slightly as he realizes what he’s said, and to whom. Jesus, Natalie. “Karl, I didn’t mean to…”
“No, it’s okay. I just meant I know how you feel, I wasn’t… I get it.” Karl’s smile is more of a grimace when Chris looks at him and winces in apology. Karl shakes his head, his eyes anguished. “Forget it.”
Chris bites his lips and they are silent for a few seconds before Karl speaks again. “And Chris… I couldn’t help Natalie and the kids, but I’ll do my damn best to help you and yours. Nobody should get hurt because of us, it’s not… it’s not right.”
Chris swears softly. “I never meant for Zach to get hurt because of my job, I never…”
Suddenly Karl’s hand is on his shoulder and squeezes firmly. Chris looks at him quickly, then away again. The understanding and sympathy in Karl’s face is too much for him to handle right now, he can’t, he…
“Chris, hey, hey. It’s not your fault, okay? This didn’t happen because of your job or what you did. You didn’t hurt Zach, someone else did, this is that bastard’s fault and not yours. Never yours, okay? Don’t blame yourself, blame whoever did this. You hear me, kid? It wasn’t your fault.”
“You really believe that?” Chris turns his head and looks at him. Karl stares back, face serious and melancholic, and his eyes are dark and empty.
“Not yet. But I think someday I will.”
The rest of their drive is silent.
Joe
The doctor asks question after question while Joe clenches his teeth and does his best to answer them calmly. Yes, Zach works at a strip club. No, he’s not a whore and yes, Joe does take offense at the implication. Yes, he’s the only family Zach has left and no, he has absolutely no fucking idea who might have done this and why, but he imagines they’ll find out soon. No, he doesn’t want to leave that to the police and fuck no, he doesn’t want to talk to them. His baby brother is lying in a hospital bed, and Joe will be fucked if he wants to leave him now.
The doc gets offended and babbles about protocol and proper ways of dealing with this and Joe has finally enough of the doctor’s questions. All it takes is a nod at Hammer and the annoying man is bodily removed from the room. Good man, Hammer. Joe closes the door while he and Hotspur stand guard outside and slumps in the chair next to Zach’s bed. Finally alone.
He sighs heavily and looks at his brother. Zach is so quiet. And he looks so small… Like he did back when he was 9 and Joe found him hiding inside their Mom’s bedroom some days after her funeral, cheeks wet and nose bloody. He’d taken him to the bathroom, cleaned him up and let him sleep in his bed, clutching the small frame close and listened to his brother’s silent sobs with his jaw clenched tight so he wouldn’t cry himself. He’d sworn back then to protect his brother at all costs, keep him safe from any harm. The next day he’d shown Zach some fighting tricks and the boy who’d bloodied Zach’s nose had soon learned not to touch him again.
Now though… now Joe can’t just let Zach sleep in his bed and teach him some dirty tricks to make it all better. This time it doesn’t work this way. Joe looks at his brother, at the bloody bandage and grinds his teeth. This time it’s serious.
He gets up and paces the room, pausing every now and then to look at Zach, watch the slow rise and fall of his chest. Whoever did this… whoever did this has to pay. Joe wasn’t there to protect Zach this time, he broke his oath, but he’ll be damned if he won’t help to make that bastard suffer. Chris is out there right now, looking for the fucker that hurt his baby brother, and as soon as he finds out, Joe will be there. He might not be an expert with knives and guns like his brother’s lover is, but he knows some tricks of his own. And he’s gonna use them all.
Not now, though. Now he has to stay here, with Zach. His baby brother shouldn’t be alone right now, and Joe will stay and keep him company. Chris isn’t here, but Joe is. Even if he’s itching to do something himself, he’s not leaving, he’ll stay. Sit at Zach’s side and protect him. And when Zach wakes up he’ll be there, tell him about Chris and keep him from worrying. Watch over him and wait.
Alex
It’s a slow night at the bar and she’s polishing glasses because she has nothing else to do. A couple of regulars are shooting pool in the corner and some new folks are sitting at a table far from the bar, but otherwise the place is empty. Alex rolls her eyes when Dick makes the juke box play “Beautiful Day” by U2 and shakes her head when he tries to get her to dance with him. One of the regulars over at the pool table yells something vaguely threatening across the room and Dick, with a bright red face, changes the song quickly before he scurries behind the safety of the bar.
Alex snorts a laugh. Kid won’t make it here long if he doesn’t watch it, but at least he’s smart enough not to upset the regulars even more. Crazy and dangerous people, some of them, she’s seen it. Lynyrd Skynyrd now sounds through the bar and she nods in time with the beat. Much better, and the regulars approve, too. She tells Dick to get a new barrel out of the backroom and he scurries off with while she snorts in amusement. At least he’s eager, if not especially bright. Alex goes back to polishing the glasses. Slow night tonight.
The door opens and she squints through the semi-darkness at the two figures standing in the entry way. One of them stays near the door and the other walks up to the bar, and now she recognizes him.
“Pine. Long time no see. What can I get you? We have some really amazing German beer this week, imported. You want to try? It’s on the house, coz you haven’t been around so long, oh, and for your friend, too, of course.”
Alex realizes she’s babbling and quickly shuts her mouth, before she embarrasses herself further. Jesus, he looks good. All fierce and dangerous, and that leather jacket, and his friend isn’t so bad either. But Pine, damn, he’s hot, and now he’s looking at her and she clutches the rag to her chest and feels herself blush hotly. Oh, those eyes! And now Pine is leaning on the bar and gets really close to her face and she feels a tingle down there. She’d like nothing more than to take him back to her place and let him make her tingle some more, and maybe his friend could come too, wouldn’t that be fun? Oh yes, it would, so much fun… Why oh why does he have to be gay? All the good ones are either… Oh, Pine is talking. What is he saying?
“… maybe some other time, though. Any idea where I could find him?”
“Huh?” Alex knows she’s staring, and she has no idea what Pine was just talking about. But those lips are inches from her face and how is she supposed to listen when she’s imagining that face between her legs?
“Nevermind.” Pine has been looking around the room and now those lips curve into a dangerous smile. “I see him.”
Alex watches him walk over to the pool table and swallows. Damn, he looks good. And those tight pants! It’s really a shame that Pine’s not into women, else she’d hit that so fast she’d break the sound barrier. She sighs and pities herself and all women on this planet. What a loss for them all… The guy that came with Pine drifts closer and she rips her eyes away from Pine’s ass as he settles on a chair at the bar.
“I’ll take a glass of that German beer, honey.”
“Sure,” she murmurs and goes about pouring it absently, still watching Pine, who’s now talking to one of the regulars. Wilkins, she thinks, yeah, that’s the guy’s name. Pine seems angry, maybe Wilkins owes him money? Wilkins certainly doesn’t seem to be glad to see him. Alex hands Pine’s friend the beer and watches, biting her lip. Yeah, they are both angry, and now Pine slams Wilkins against the wall. Jesus, are they about to fight? Pine does some complicated move and has Wilkins’ arm twisted behind his back. The others surrounding the pool table laugh and focus back on their game. Wilkins lets out a pained groan while Pine whispers something in his ear and Alex creeps closer along the bar, trying to listen in. Wow, Pine is strong! And now he’s marching Wilkins towards the back door, pity. She’d love to see some more of that action, Pine sure looks hot when he’s shoving people around who are twice his size. Pine’s friend is gesticulating at her for a refill and she sighs and complies. Pity.
She’s just handed the guy his new beer, he takes a large sip and murmurs appreciatively, when Dick runs up, wide-eyed and panting slightly.
“There’s a tiny guy beating up a really large guy out back! Should we, dunno, call the police or, or an ambulance?”
Pine’s friend chuckles and takes another sip. “Not if you value your balls where they are, boy.” He clicks his tongue and tilts his head as he savors the taste. He doesn’t seem to be concerned at all that Pine is out there alone with Wilkins who’s a giant and has a lot of knives, so Alex decides she isn’t, either.
Dick looks between her and Pine’s friend and shifts on his feet worriedly. Alex sighs and shakes her head at Dick. “Let them be. Whatever it’s about, I’m sure Wilkins deserves it.”
Dick nods reluctantly, but still looks unsettled and worried. Boy won’t last long in this bar; She gives him another four weeks until one of the bikers scares him off for good. Better for him, maybe, she thinks, but then she’ll have to look for a new employee again. She sighs and decides to think about it later. Dick takes the broom and starts cleaning the floor half-heartedly, still eyeing the back door. Pine’s friend drinks his beer and nods at the taste, and Alex turns back to polishing glasses. Slow night tonight.
Maybe half an hour passes before the back door opens again. Pine walks back in, using a piece of cloth to clean his hands, the cloth has dark stains on it. Alex rolls her eyes at Dick’s shocked gasp, make that two weeks until he runs. She taps another beer and sets it in front of Pine as he steps up to the bar next to his friend. He gives her an absent nod in thanks and drowns the beer in two large swallows. The friend eyes him.
“No luck?”
“No. He’s not our guy. Fuck.” Pine slams the glass onto the bar and curses under his breath. The friend pats his back and gets up from his chair.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”
Pine sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Yeah.”
His friend smiles. “We have some more names on that list. We’ll find him and then you can show him what a big mistake he made.”
Pine smiles back, shows sharp teeth and Alex flinches a little at his expression. “Yeah, I’ll make him pay.”
Pine nods slightly and she shrinks back, unsettled by the fury and rage in his eyes. He looks like some kind of predator, like a shark, and she doesn’t know if she should be scared or turned on by the look on his face. Jesus.
Pine walks out of the bar without looking back and his friend follows him after throwing some money on the counter. “Good beer”, he says and walks off. Alex stares after them, half-aware of Dick hovering close and exuding worry and fear. She shakes her head slowly and tells him to check on Wilkins out in the back, looks like they’ll need to call an ambulance after all.
Fuck, whoever did something to piss Pine off, Alex hopes he was smart enough to run fast and far. She certainly wouldn’t want to get in his way when he looks like that. Dangerous, lethal. And hot.
Alex sighs and puts the used glasses into the dishwasher. Lynyrd Skynyrd has ended, Blue Öyster Cult are playing now. Alex hums along to “Vengeance”, one of her favorite songs, and picks up a new glass to polish. The regulars are laughing about their pool game and the new folk are whispering about what just happened. Slow night tonight.
Next part is here.