Sober [reposted]
Title: Sober
Summary: I watched him as he slowly drowned himself in liquor...all because of some woman. Stranger's POV. 5986.
Rating: T
Written for: iu_fanfiction's Scambio di Fandonie Contest - Fanfic Entry (for arahvista)
Sober
Here we are, in the best years of our lives
With no way of knowing, when the
Wheel stop spinning 'cause
We don't know where we're going
"You look wasted, laddie."
I could see him well, even with the bar's poor lighting. I knew that he was barely eighteen, and the fact that he was smoking even if it was prohibited was quite noticeable just with my nose. He had been downing that scotch bottle like it was water and I knew that he was intoxicated enough to talk to me.
"Shut your mouth, old man." Such a foul mouth, too. But really, kids shouldn't be in this kind of place.
He was a regular customer nowadays, the kid. Most of my shift, he would wedge his way in, demand for scotch, and walk away with the bottle. The one time I almost shouted at him for his tab, the owner told me that it was okay. Apparently, the owner knew the kid and told me that someone had already paid for his drink.
"Come on, give me the bottle." He glared at me. "You look like shit. Total shit."
I took the bottle and colorful words left his mouth in protest. It was pathetic to see such a nice looking guy (in a suit, no less) smothering himself in alcohol. I may be a bartender, but I do have ethics, too. I hope the kid had some semblance of that, as well.
"Give it to me, old man." He tried to snatch the bottle away from me. "Reborn--hic--would pay for it."
"Shut up, kid. Alcohol would do you no good." I tilted the bottle and sighed, it was almost empty. "Go home."
"Hey! I'm drinking here! Don't order--hic--me around like you’re my goddamn father!" He stood up and glared at me, I was too shell-shocked to move or even talk.
"Be happy, you miserable bitches!" He stumbled out of his stool, his coat ruined by some stain I didn't know. "Be fuck--hic--ing happy!"
And then, the kid stormed out of the bar. I gripped the counter, the shock still in my system. I could never forget his eyes, for they contained too much anger, too much sadness and too much guilt. It was too much for a young kid.
And here we are, on the best day of our lives
And it's a go, let’s make it last, so cheers you
All to that, 'cause this moment's never comin' back
He came back a week later. This time, he brought someone with him.
"G-Gokudera! Come on, stop doing this to yourself!" His companion was clearly sober and as I see it, trying to let the kid let go of the shots of tequila in his hands.
The bratty kid, Gokudera, just waved the worries of his friend away. It seemed that he wasn't that pissed off drunk like last time, instead, he was warm and smiling…enjoying his drunken stupor.
"Shaddap, Yamamoto! We're celebrating, celebrating!" He downed another shot then licked his salted wrist. His companion, Yamamoto, was now sporting a confused look.
"Celebrating?" I cleaned the table behind theirs, trying to pick up the conversation amidst the murmurs. "I-I thought you were drinking because of your failed mission to kill--"
"That's bullshit." The kid downed another glass and asked for two more, handing the other one to his friend. "I don't care about that crap. We're celebrating! Judaime's finally--hic--engaged!" He downed it again and spilt some on his shirt.
"Damn it." The frown on his face deepened as he tried to remove the stain. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
"G-Gokudera…" The lad's gaze, Yamamoto’s, was that of pity and he held onto the drunk guy's wrist, stopping it from shaking.
The foul-mouthed laddie just snorted and pried his hand away. He grabbed the bottle from Fuji, the current barista, and downed it in one gulp. The other guy didn't stop him.
At that point, during the silence, I knew that they weren't talking about the stain any longer.
I used to know her brother
But I never knew I loved her
Till the day she laid her eyes on me now
I'm jumpin' up and down
She's the only one around
And she means every little thing to me
"Are you sure, oji-san? I can take the garbage out."
"It's okay, Fuji. I got this."
I bid the younger barista a good night, even if it was already half past three in the morning. The bar was practically empty, except for the few regulars who snoozed off on the couch, promising that they would leave the moment they were sober. The owner asked me to watch over since I practically lived on the room above the bar itself.
I dragged the trash towards the back alley. It was a cold and quiet night and I couldn't help but want to go back in right away and sit near the fire--
"Hayato, stop drinking…" It was a woman's voice, yet I couldn't see her. "You're already beyond drunk--"
"Why do you care, aniki?" It was that brat again, but this time, he was thoroughly drunk, his phrase sounding more like, whydo--hic--ya--hic-- care, aneke?
I could see their silhouettes, illuminated by the streets. The woman merely sighed and watched the brat drink to his heart's content. She scooted beside him and sat down, snatching the bottle in the process.
"You are drunk, Hayato," She drank from the bottle and chuckled. "So drunk that you could stand seeing my face."
"Gimme that!" He grabbed the bottle and drank it empty, throwing it on the sidewalk afterwards. He was then looking at the streets, perhaps contemplating, when the woman grabbed his head and cradled it with her arms.
"I know it hurts," I turned away and placed the trash at the corner of the alley. "Love hurts. So much."
I went inside the bar, not wanting to hear more. But I realized that the moment I closed the door, the brat was crying in the arms of his sister.
I've got your picture in my wallet
And your phone number to call it
And I miss you more whenever I think about you
I've got your mixed tape in my walkman
Been so long since we've been talkin'
And in a few more days we'll both hook up
Forever and ever
He came late tonight. He was seated in a booth directly across the counter and I could see him while I cleaned-it was near closing time, after all. He just ordered a bottle of beer, nothing else, and was sipping it slowly, as if letting it slide in his tongue before taking a gulp.
He was fingering something, a picture, I think. It was torn around the edges, as if pulled violently on one side. There was the shadow of a smile on his lips, but it was empty...hollow.
The laddie was a clear piece of shit.
Then, his phone started ringing. His eyes gazed at it lazily, not interested at all with who was calling him this late in the evening. The phone then redirected the call to voice mail, and the demanding tone of a woman echoed throughout the bar.
“Gokudera! Pick this up! Bianchi-san is worried sick about you and-hahi! Lambo-chan stop pulling the-“
The call ended abruptly and I looked at the lad, surprised, finding him staring at the phone as if it were some miracle. He placed his beer and the picture down and just looked at his phone…waiting…
And then it rang again. His eyes widened in surprise and then he scowled, not answering the call yet not putting down the phone, either.
“H-Hahi! Haru is sorry about the last call, Lambo-chan was trying to-anyway, Bianchi-san asks where you are. The family is worried, you moron! Even Tsuna is worried…” There was a pause, and some crashing noises in the background. “E-Even Haru is worried.”
He ended the call, drank his beer and grabbed his wallet. Placing a few bills on the table, he left. It was the first time he actually paid. I watched him leave and I moved towards the table, only to spot the picture of what seemed to be his friends and him. I grabbed the picture and the money and was surprised when a ringing sound came from the sofa; apparently, the brat forgot his phone…
“Gokudera-san… I-I know you’re mad at me for agreeing to marry Tsuna, but you knew from the start! H-Haru loves Tsuna!” She was sobbing, the woman was sobbing. “B-But if you told Haru to leave Tsuna, Haru would. B-Because Haru loves you more.”
I grabbed the phone and turned it off. I drank that night, cursing myself for not following the boy. Because if I did, maybe, he would be the one hearing the woman instead of me.
And here I am, on the west coast of American
And I've been tryin' to think for weeks of all the ways to ask you
And now I've brought you to the place
Where I've poured my heart out, a million times
For a million reasons, to offer it to you
"B-Banji-san…there's a woman who’s making a scene downstairs…"
Fuji was trembling in fright and I dashed towards the bar. Right there, holding the manager by the neck was a woman a head shorter than the men who tried to restrain her from killing the bar owner.
"Where is he?" She yelled. "Where is he? Yamamoto told me that he was always here! Haru needs to see--"
"Haru?" I must've said it out loud, the woman stopped yelling. "He never went back, the silver-haired brat."
I gave her his phone and the picture. She was crying silently as she clutched them and I knew that the young man she was looking for was long gone…and doesn't want to be found.
"There's something written in the back." I sighed. "I can't read it. It's in Italian."
The woman flipped the photo and her eyes widened. Right after that, she dashed outside, leaving all the men (her friends, I assumed) inside the bar as they attended to the bar owner whom she just assaulted.
For the first time in weeks, I knew I did something right.
I used to know her brother
But I never knew I loved her
Till the day she laid her eyes on me.
Now I'm jumpin' up and down
She's the only one around
And she means every little thing to me
"Are you going to treat me, Tsuna?"
It was midday, the bar empty. A brown-haired lad entered with his younger brother perched on his shoulder. If I were thinking better, I would've told the older lad that babies aren't allowed inside…but I was too tired from my shift the other night and I chose to humor the young man as he sat by the counter.
"What do you want, young man?"
"The strongest scotch," His eyes were sullen, another heartbroken dude. "please."
He drank a bottle in thirty minutes. Right now, he was drinking his fourth one.
"If you keep drinking, I'm going to need to find another Vongola leader." The young one said.
"Then find one." He drank a glass in one gulp. "I want to just forget, Reborn."
The young one just kept shut and watched him drink. He handed his older brother a note written in Italian…it was oddly familiar.
Intendo portarla via da lei, decimo. Mi dispiace.
I've got your picture in my wallet
And your phone number to call it
And I miss you more whenever I think about you
I've got your mixed tape in my walkman
Been so long since we've been talkin'
And in a few more days we'll both hook up
Forever and ever
Translation: I'm going to take her away from you, Decimo. I'm sorry.
end.