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]

"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."

[jageskro]

"Friend of a friend," Jag confirmed with a nod, smiling at Danny's words. Sounded like Hex really was as kind a person as Fin. "Don't know him much, but he seems all right."

[london_spy]

"He's lovely," Danny nodded, texting back, then slipping his phone back into his pocket. "So what do you do for a living, Jag?" he asked.

[jageskro]

"I'm a busker," Jag answered, and flicked the butt of his cigarette into the gutter as they walked. "Fire performer."

[london_spy]

"Really?" Danny asked. "How'd you learn to do that? Was it hard?"

[jageskro]

"It was... challenging," Jag settled on with a half smile. "But I have a knack for it." To say the least. "It came fairly naturally to me. I just - I needed to learn the basics."

[london_spy]

"I can't even juggle oranges," Danny admitted with a smile, looking down at his feet and deliberately not stepping on a single crack, as though he was playing some sort of childish game with himself.