fourstrings | When the world is too dark

When the world is too dark

[ The Evergreen has a strong no-assholes policy. This is undermined somewhat by the fact that Nick basically runs it now, but it means he can use himself as a gauge. If anyone’s a bigger asshole than he is, they get kicked out.

Steve is the kind of asshole who should have been kicked out way earlier. That’s on Nick. He was over-cautious, cut the guy too much of a break, because running this bar is the only thing that has him making enough cash to keep up with his responsibilities. He’d worried that word would get around that The Evergreen wasn’t a friendly place anymore, and he’d ruin the reputation Al had carefully built up for it over the years, drive customers away. And it’s not just because Al’s basically promised him the place and it’s his future he’s gambling on, but respect for Al. He built Nick sure as he built up this bar, and the very least Nick can do in return is not tank it. And in fairness, Steve had started slow: the kind of coarse jokes that are mean instead of funny, taking sly digs at people. Way too much flirting with women beyond the point it became clear that they didn’t want to be flirted with, at least not by Steve. Nick finally found his balls the night he’d rounded the corner to check there was enough paper in the johns and seen Steve caging a girl in against the wall, face leaning in even though hers was twisted adamantly away. He’d grabbed the man by collar and belt with no regard for the fact that Steve had a good three inches and 20 pounds on him, marched him out the door, and told him not to come back, ever.

Which means that Steve is now going on the Wall of Shame, and he’d been such a dick about it Nick wants to make it a special occasion. There’s a little florist across the street that’s probably gonna close down any day now, judging by the amount of foot traffic they get, so before opening the next day Nick heads over to give them a little last bit of support. There’s a little bell that rings cutely as he pushes the door open, a blast of welcome cool, fragrant air, and… the most beautiful man he’s ever laid eyes on behind the counter. Blond hair in one of those trendy cuts that look goofy on most people that aren’t pop stars but somehow suits him just right, big eyes shaded with long lashes, a sweet little beauty mark.

Nick stops dead just inside the door, confident that if he takes one more step without preparation he’s gonna trip over his own feet. ]

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[ that is... agh?! the way the guy says it is so fond, like vash has dedicated his life to washing ducklings off after oil spills instead of something as mundane as running a flower shop, and. yeah, it makes him all fluttery inside.

which is why there's just a second of staring, mouth slightly open, before wolfwood passes over the drink and snaps him out of it.

but then! ] ... wooow. You've really got, like, a business brain, huh?

[ maybe he needs to start asking for tips. business 101. ]

I know shipping 'em in would be easier, and I could knock more out, buuut... it kinda feels better, being somewhere with a bunch of happy, living things, instead of things just waiting to wilt.

It didn't come natural, believe me. Had to grow one if I wanted to pay back the cost of sending me to seminary just to have me throw in the cassock.

[ But he nods along. It's funny - he thinks of the Evergreen as a little family, everyone there looking out for each other, taking care of one another. Seeds had felt like that too, even though Vash was the only person there. Just radiating enough care for his plants for a full staff, Nick guesses. ]

I get that. You take good care of your plants, and they take care of you with flowers to sell. Do you ever just sell plants? I could put the word out. Not a lot of people around here have the cash for something that'll only last a few days, but they'd be a lot more open to something that'd last years with the right care.

[ vash blinks. ]

Wha —? Really, you think that’d work?

[ he’d have a shift a little, obviously. propagate more cuttings from the plants he has, make sure he could replace whatever he sells, but. ]

That’s a great idea! [ and suddenly, he lunges, nearly falling off the stool as he launches himself halfway across the bar to grab both of wolfwood’s hands in his own. he’s beaming, and it’s way too easy to imagine that there’s a puppy-dog tail doing some serious wagging. ] Thank you, seriously! You’re my hero!

[ Nick's grinning too, just charmed by how enthusiastic Vash seems (and the fact that they're holding hands now), so it's a few long seconds of two idiots beaming at each other before Nick realizes one of those hands feels... different.

He glances down. Yup, one of the hands is the one he tried to do a little priestly flirting with, and the other appears to be a prosthetic. A pretty cool prosthetic, obviously technologically advanced from the way it's wrapped around his hand just like the other one has.

Christ, was he really so hypnotized by Vash having a cute face and demeanour that he didn't notice a whole artificial hand? The realization just makes him huff a laugh, and he squeezes both of Vash's hands before he looks up again and grins at him. ]

I'd tell you to save the thanks until you know if it's gonna work out, but I'm enjoying it too much.

[ the back room of the shop is mostly still crowded with a bunch of clutter from the last guy who rented it out -- and when vash had asked about it, the landlord had given him a look that made it obvious it was vash's problem now -- but! if he clears it out, gets some proper lighting and equipment, it probably wouldn't be too hard to turn it into a little greenhouse...!

and he's so caught up in trying to plan it out that it takes him a second to notice that wolfwood's eyes have dropped. but, ah. vash realizes in the next second that he's gone and grabbed his hand with the prosthetic, and something knots up in his chest. it's not that vash is embarrassed about it, not exactly, it is what it is. but some people have a weird reaction to it -- they get weirded out, or a little too curious about it -- and plenty of people flinch away from contact with it like missing a limb is a disease that's catching.

so he's squirming, already (gently) tugging his hands away and plopping back in his seat before wolfwood looks back up at him. and he grins back obligingly, even though there's a little less wattage than before. ]

Nah, I know a great idea when I hear one. [ tipping his head to one side with a little ehehe. ] I'll remember you fondly once I'm a millionaire.

[ Aw, fuck. Spell broken. He should have known better; it's not like he doesn't know anyone missing a limb, or that people can be sensitive about it. All he can hope is that he hasn't tanked this with his curiosity. He really likes Vash, and even if Vash isn't interested in pursuing anything with him, it'd be really cool to have him come by the orphanage sometime. Get him to talk to some of the kids who think of their differences as a lack, show them how you can still absolutely be happy and cool when you're built a little different to everyone else.

He gets the feeling he's going to need to rebuild a little trust before bringing that up, though, so he drops the thought, folds his hands back on the bar, and makes his best affronted face. ]

Remember? Ohhh, I get it. You're gonna be too cool for me and my little dive bar once you're rolling in it, huh?

[ waving a hand! ]

Won't even be able to come in here once I'm a world-famous millionaire plant guy. All my fans would mob the place, and then you'd make me a funeral wreath.

[ which is why he better enjoy the place while he can! ducking down, actually using the straw this time when he takes a sip. aaand... there's a moment where he's considering, then he brightens up all over again. ] Oh, hey! It kinda tastes a little like flowers!

[ which should be gross, right? but it kinda works! there's just a faint note of something that reminds him of the way the shop always smells when he's first opening up, made sweeter on his tongue by whatever else is in here. ]

St Germain. It's elderflower liqueur. There's honey, too. I thought it would suit you.

[ He squashes the urge to say because you're so sweet, but he can feel the goofy smile on his face doing the work for him. Hey, he's proud of his work, and Vash seems to like it, so that's a win! ]

Maybe I'll have to upgrade the bar. Make it really high-end, get a velvet rope out there to -

[ But he's interrupted by Lena emerging from the kitchen (which she seldom does) to deliver Vash his meal with a bright smile and a this must be for you, enjoy! which is uncharacteristically good customer service, apart from the fact that she unsubtly gives Vash the once-over and then mouths nice to Nick and gives him a little okay signal with her hand. Christ. ]

[ hmm, why honey? vash is squinting at the drink, taking a second to try and solve the puzzle. obviously the elderflower-whatcha-call-it is because of the florist thing, so... oh! because of bees! because bees do stuff for flowers!

proud of himself for cracking the case.

but he's distracted by the arrival of food. and even though he'd protested the idea of a free meal, the sight of it is good enough to kill any and all resistance. it's the kind of burger you know you're gonna struggle to even get your jaw around, packed with stuff that's inevitably going to end up trying to escape the bun and down your forearms. and there's a pile of fries next to it, hot and golden and obviously fresh, filling up the air with one of the best smells known to man.

he's so busy woooow-ing over it to show his appreciation that he totally misses the fact that he's being given the once-over. ] Man, your place is awesome. The bars I used to go to in college just stuck frozen stuff in the microwave.

You can thank Lena. She used to be a regular, and then she told me the food was shit and I needed to hire her to do the menu. Best advice I ever - oh, there she goes.

[ And Lena is indeed retreating to the kitchen, but not without giving Vash a little wave on the way. Lena is the best thing that ever happened to this place, making food good enough that people eat it before they get so drunk they decide they better put something in their stomachs. She's also a terror about trying to get Nick laid whenever she thinks he's being excessively grumpy, which is almost never successful and mostly serves as a signal to Nick to get himself straightened out. ]

Don't know what I'd do without her. All the staff, really. They're good people. Gives the place a family feeling, you know?

[ waving back! vash isn't sure what wolfwood is paying her, but he almost definitely needs to up it. pretty sure this burger is proof of the existence of the divine.

and listen, he's only one and a half drinks down, but he also has the alcohol tolerance of a feather. which is the only excuse for what comes out of his mouth. ] S'cute! The way you talk about them. You're cute. I --

[ cut off, abruptly, when someone crowds into the stool next to him, attention promptly jerked away. especially because the guy is putting an arm on the bar and leaning into his space. ]

'Sup, Wolfwood? [ not even looking at him. ] Why don't you make this cutie a refill? Anything he wants, on me.

[ ... which turns out to be an absolutely crash-and-burn attempt, because vash just turns right back to wolfwood, lit up and sparkling all over again. ] Your name is Wolfwood? Your real name? That's so cool! That's like the coolest name I've ever heard!

[ The dark look Nick gives this guy for interrupting Vash calling him cute only gets darker when it becomes apparent that he's taking a crack at Vash. Which... bounces right off, apparently, and Nick shakes his head in mock-sympathy. ]

Sorry, Romeo. Blondie's already drinking for free.

[ Which is as much attention as he gets before Nick turns back to Vash and hikes a thumb at the little chalkboard sign behind him, which says Duty Manager: Father Nicholas D. Wolfwood in the assistant manager's very pretty and somehow sarcastic handwriting. ]

That's me. Blessed with a cool name and a sunny disposition.

[ there is a moment where it's obvious the guy is trying to rally, eyeing up wolfwood before turning back to vash. but before he can even try his next line, vash cuts him off. ]

That's badass. It makes you sound like an outlaw!

[ the would-be paramour is just slinking away, tail between his legs.

vash doesn't even notice, hastening to add: ] But the good kind, obviously! You've got nice eyes, no one would ever really believe you're a bad guy.

[ Oh, that's... actually making Nick feel a little bad for the guy. He quickly pours a double of his favourite bourbon and slides it down to him with a whistle to get his attention before he turns back to Vash. ]

My eyes just seem nice right now because they're looking at you.

[ Wait, this is the perfect opportunity to lay the groundwork for bringing Vash to the orphanage! ]

But if it helps my image, I put in some hours at St Michael's when I have the time.

[ vash's eyes go wide, heat blooming up into his cheeks as wolfwood hits him with that. was that... flirting? that was flirting, right? did that count as flirting?! do bartenders go around saying stuff like that to all their customers???

it's actually lucky that wolfwood changes the subject before vash gets the chance to ask. ]

Is that a church?

Orphanage. They don't call 'em that anymore, but that's what it is.

[ Maybe it's a little heavy for conversation on the literal day they met, but Nick already feels like he's known Vash for ages and he's not even drinking! There's something about him that makes holding anything back seem pointless. Like he's immune to oversharing. ]

's where I grew up. They were good to me, so I try to be good to them.

[ it might be heavy for most people. the standard response is probably to get a little antsy about the subject, or maybe attempt to summon up your soupiest i'm so sorry, but vash just says ohhh.

and then: ] Wait, so you get to volunteer to play around with kids on the weekend? That sounds awesome!

[ and now his brain is attempting to process it. wolfwood, with his outlaw demeanor and badass name, hanging out with kids? definitely getting right down on their level, subjecting himself to tea parties and getting dragged into games?

... something really LGBT is happening to vash right now. ]

[ He's officially fucked.

He meant it when he said they were good to him; he had a better upbringing than he would have had with people who were either so desperate or so uninterested that they gave their infant up. All his material needs were taken care of, and the emotional ones too; he had loved and trusted caregivers who showed him affection but weren't afraid to be stern when he needed a firm hand guiding him. The worst part of growing up in an orphanage is when people assume it was terrible; lonely and cold at best, abusive at worst. And then people think he's pretending it never happens anywhere when he says it didn't happen to him, and it's a fucking mess.

And Vash? Vash just glides right past all the potential darkness, and sees the light. And Nick's little crush turns into a chestburster from that old Alien movie, tearing its way out of him and showing all over his face. ]

It is. Sometimes I do a little cooking or cleaning if they're short, but most of it's just playing.

[ A beat. ]

I hope I'm not out of line, but... I noticed your hand. If you wanted to come by someday, there are kids there who'd get a lot out of meeting you. You wouldn't have to give 'em a sappy speech or anything. It'd just be good for them to be around someone who's happy and attractive and cool, and has a prosthetic. I think you'd like it, too. They're great kids.

[ man, vash didn't know you could volunteer to play. he'd had to grab community service hours for a civics thing in college, and it'd mostly involved picking up trash along the side of a highway until he was sunburned and halfway to heatstroke.

but. he has a split second to freeze when wolfwood starts that off, already tensing in anticipation of what's coming. plenty of people just end up getting nosy about it, and trying to dance around so what happened to your arm? is gonna put a damper on the night, and oh, it's no big deal! i was in a wreck when i was a kid that killed my foster mom, put me in the ICU for a few months, and traumatized my twin so badly he stopped speaking for a year. all good now, though! tends to be the kind of grenade you lob into the middle of a conversation if you want it to end.

and then wolfwood pivots somewhere vash wasn't expecting, and he melts like an idiot. ] Yeah, seriously? I'd love to! Kids are awesome!

When do you go? I'm usually tied up on Sundays, [ nai is religious about taking the day off so they can hang out, and he gets a Look if vash even hints about being busy. ] but Saturdays are free!

[ It's beautiful to watch. Probably just because he's fully smitten now, but he can see the same trepidation he'd gone through playing out on Vash's face; the flash of uh oh followed by relief. And then, even better: genuine enthusiasm. Nick's had more than one relationship crash and burn because someone who thought it was soooo sweet and attractive that he pitched in at the orphanage balked at the idea of hanging out with the kids themselves, or got pissy that he wouldn't cancel plans to go there in order to be with them. ]

Saturday's good. We can do it this week, if I'm not moving too fast.

[ It's... pretty fast. It's Thursday. Quick, to be planning on introducing Vash to the people who mean the most to him bar his little brother, but he's got a good feeling.

He never gets those. ]

Nah, I'm free! Pretty sure I was just gonna waste it hanging around in PJs and watching cartoons.

[ sacred saturday ritual that it is.

he's got the second drink polished off by now, and about half of the burger, and he's feeling niiiice. a little wobbly, maybe, but warm and fuzzy. ... or is that mostly because he's starting to think wolfwood might be into him? hard to tell. either way! ]

Your bar... [ Very Serious. ] ... is the best. I'm gonna leave you a crazy review on Yelp.

[ Nick peers at Vash. The little flush in his cheeks that he'd assumed was makeup when he first saw him is apaprently natural, because that very same shade has grown and is now a rosy band across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Which means Nick probably shouldn't go making any declarations of affection tonight, at least. If he'd known Vash was a lightweight, he'd have made the second drink a soda. ]

Mmhm. You're toasted. The review's gonna say "the bartender got me drunk, hit on me and conned me into doing charity work" and I'm gonna get shut down.

[ But he's smiling as he says it, at least. ]

[ waitasecond. vash reels a little. ]

You're hitting on me?

[ Oops. ]

I was hitting on you. Gonna save the rest for when you're sober enough to tell me to stick it up my ass with a clear head.

Wait, no! [ emphatic head-shaking. he almost takes himself right off the stool. ] You should definitely keep doing it.

[ firmly: ] I'm not drunk. I only had two!

When the world is too dark

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