OTA

[jageskro]

It was like an itch you knew you weren't supposed to scratch. A lot of things had become clearer to Jag, about himself, since he'd watched Hex's videos, and somehow, the closer it came to the time Val would be back, the more Jag wanted to give in to his 'old' habits and do something really stupid. Start a bar in a fight with an arsehole or two, and get hurt.

It was as far from healthy as he could get, he realised, and that was why he hadn't started a bar fight in over a month now. He was in a bar right now, having a pint and trying to resist the desire to walk over to the bastards in the booth right behind him. Their racist, homophobic conversation wasn't making it easy on him. He was waiting for the misogyny to make an appearance, really. He'd barely touched his pint in the last ten minutes and was gnawing on his thumb's nail, feet propped on his bar stool, one leg bouncing.

Comments

[london_spy]

The barman was a 'friend', and had told Danny he'd kick him a few quid under the table if he'd cover a shift for one of his servers. It wasn't much, but at the moment every penny counted.

He kept his head down the whole time, bringing people drinks, clearing tables, doing his best not to be recognized. His story was long faded from the papers, but in a crowd like this, the last thing he wanted to do was jog someone's memory.

His shift was just ending as he cleared his last table- Only to have some bastard deliberately stick his foot out and trip him. One of the glasses shattered, but Danny was so relieved not to have shed any blood that he wasn't even angry- Just shaken as he started to pick up the broken glass very carefully. All while ignoring the nasty comments coming from the table behind him.

"Sorry," he said, glancing up at the bloke at the bar, who'd already seemed tense and agitated to start with.

[jageskro]

Jag was downright glaring at the bastards when the waiter spoke up, and his look softened as he looked down at him, then moved off his stool to help him out with the glass. "Not on you to apologise," he remarked, picking up the bigger shards of glass first.

And if the table heard that? Good.

[london_spy]

It was kind of the stranger to help, but the fact that they were both touching the glass only made him more anxious. ...It was also the moment the barman noticed what was happening.

"Jesus, Danny, what are you doing?" the barman said, physically pulling Danny away from the broken glass. "You can't do that, it's a health hazard. I run a bloody bar you idiot."

He pushed a wad of cash into Danny's hand, then nudged him toward the door. "You're done for the day, go home.

He turned to Jag next, gingerly taking the glass from him. "Last drink's on the house mate. Don't worry about this."

Danny looked somewhat mortified, and offered the stranger and apologetic look.

[jageskro]

A look which was lost on Jag, since he was frowning at the bartender. "It wasn't his fault."

[london_spy]

"It would be if he cut himself in here," the barman replied with an annoyed frown. "Just stay out of it, alright? I'm comping you your drink, and he's leaving, aren't you Danny?" he added.

[jageskro]

"Not just the patrons who are arseholes here, then," Jag remarked hotly, picking up his coat to get out of there.

[london_spy]

"You've no idea what you're talking about mate, alright? I did you a favour, and you don't even know it," the barman replied, looking at Danny, then shaking his head as he returned to the task of picking up glass.

Danny's face was blank now, expressionless, and he said nothing as he pocketed his pay and headed outside to light a cigarette. He'd been trying to quit, but the world seemed dead set on giving him a reason to light up another and another.

[jageskro]

Jag muttered a, "Fucking wankers," under his breath as he headed out, pausing outside to light up a cigarette of his own. Then only did he notice the bloke, and winced. "Sorry. It was none of my business."

[london_spy]

"No he was right," Danny replied, shaking his head as he took a long drag. "I shouldn't have been picking up glass- If I'd cut myself... It could have been bad. I understand why he got upset."

[jageskro]

"Didn't have to be an arsehole about it," Jag retorted with a shake of his head.

[london_spy]

"He's just panicked. ...I'm, um- I'm positive, and I don't officially work here," Danny explained quietly, not sure why he felt the need to defend the bloke.

"I'm just sorry if he chased you out as well."

[jageskro]

"Honestly, I was about one nasty remark from picking a fight with the wankers who tripped you," Jag remarked with a bit of a shrug. "Probably best this way."

[london_spy]

"Blokes like that aren't worth it, you'd only be giving them what they want- And there's no fun in that. Better to watch them fail, don't you think?" he suggested with a faint smile.

[jageskro]

"Probably," Jag agreed, although he didn't sound convinced. Rationally, he knew that it was true, of course. That didn't change his impulses, though. "Not sure I'm wired that way."

[london_spy]

"You're a fighter then?" Danny asked with a faint smile. "Nothing wrong with having a spark, I don't think. I'm not one for physical confrontation, but I like to think I fight when it matters."

[jageskro]

"Different sorts of fighting, yeah?" Jag shrugged, and took another drag off his cigarette. "I don't know whether that's the sort of thing to really matter," he added, nodding back towards the pub.

[london_spy]

"It isn't," Danny assured him. "People like that, moments like that. It's forgotten so fast that fighting it is a waste of energy."

[jageskro]

"It isn't about fighting them, though, not really," Jag answered, and shrugged. "Anyway, sorry about that. I'm going to try and find a better pub."

[london_spy]

"Yeah?" Danny asked, holding up his pay with a smile. "Me too, I think."

[jageskro]

Jag nodded with a small, appreciative smile. "All right, then. First drink's on me."

[london_spy]

"Yeah? Cheers," Danny smiled, offering his hand. "I'm Danny, by the way."

[jageskro]

"Jag," he introduced himself, reaching out to shake his hand, before he started walking. There was a pub sign just down the street.

[london_spy]

"Lovely to meet you, Jag," Danny smiled, pulling his phone out when it chirped- The posh one he'd received at the Christmas party- and then smiling when he saw Hex's face next to a new text.

"Still not used to this thing," he admitted, showing it to Jag. "It's much more complex than my old one. No buttons either."

[jageskro]

"I know, I..." Jag frowned as he noticed the picture, and then chuckled. "Friend of Hex's? Small world."

[london_spy]

"You know Hex?" Danny replied, lighting up. "We're good friends, yeah. He's lovely. He was there when I got diagnosed. Took me home, made sure I didn't do anything stupid. We've been friends ever since."