Three in the Morning

The bar was somehow darker inside than out, which was impressive given that it was three in the morning.  It was a dive, with neon and hard drinks and not a sober person in the room, staff included.  Smoke drifted close to the ceiling as everyone nursed a series of poor decisions with alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both.  It was just the kind of place Bird needed at the time.

 

Swirling his drink, something caught his eye at the other side of the room.  Despite the dim lighting, a verdant head of hair lounged on a small couch, hookah on the table in front of her as she surrounded herself with a group of other smokers, and her golden eyes were locked onto him.  Normally, Bird would've been paranoid.  A man like him seemed to make enemies every time he got paid.  Another pair of hands seeking to cut out their pound of flesh.  That's what drove him to this place, though.  He had given his crew the night off, and they were off who knows where.  All he wanted was enough drinks to make all that work worthwhile, and it was starting to feel like it was.

 

He took a sip of his drink, watching her back.  Her lidded gaze remained locked onto him as something... invisible went between them.  No, she wasn't here to hurt him... at least, not in a way that would last.  He jerked his head away from her, a near subtle invitation to join him at the bar, taking another sip.  She replied with a silent, languid shake of her head, then followed it with a much more obvious gesture:  she extended her arm and crooked her finger at him, beckoning him over to their smoke circle.  Now, Bird wasn't much of a smoker to begin with, but it had been a long time since he last partook, and he was well enough drunk to not give a damn.  He pushed up away from the bar and slowly made his way over, drink in hand.

 

He approached the smoke circle, joining the perimeter for a moment before she shook her head slightly once more.  She scooted over and patted the seat beside her, staring up at him expectantly.  He paused for a drink and a quick thought about all this.  He wasn't done thinking when he pulled his glass away from his lips and joined her on the couch.  Not a word was spoken between them before she laid back, half against him as she passed the hose.  She took a long drag, eyes drifting shut as she took deep the drug before holding it down.  He watched her with a steady expression, impressed internally.  

 

As she passed the hose to the next in line, she took his glass.  He wasn't about to fight over a drink, not while drunk and with her against him like this.  She watched him out of the corner of her eyes as she killed his drink, setting the empty glass on the table beside them.  Then, she snuggled against him, now lounging more on him than the little loveseat they shared.  That bothered Bird a bit.  He was still enjoying that, he thought as he brought an arm around her waist.  She smiled contently, moving her hand to slide up his neck and into his hair, gripping it lazily as she drifted through her high, seemingly oblivious at the message she was sending him.

 

When it came her time to smoke again, Bird intercepted.  Not one to be outdone, he took a similar drag from the hookah, intent on showing that he wasn't just a stranger.  She watched him through glossed eyes, a smile playing on her lips as he passed the hose, smoke still in his lungs.  He turned his face up and let loose a gout of smoke, properly worked into his lungs.  With a grin, he turned down to face her, only to find her mirroring his expression.  With one hand buried in his hair, her other moved up his chest, beckoning him lower with a light, drawing touch along his jaw.  Lower, lower, their noses grazing as they peered into each other's eyes.

 

They might've kept going if it weren't for a fresh round of drinks being brought to the group.  They both paused, staring at the solitary glass intended for the two.  Giving her a glance, Bird reached across to drink first before offering her some.  Sitting up now fully in his lap, she washed down her smoke, putting the glass on the table before returning to invading his personal space.  Bird couldn't help but inspect her face so close, the way she smelled underneath the cloud of drugged smoke and alcohol, the way her soft skin teased him so.  She laughed quietly in his face, a coy smile on her face as she realized his hesitance.  And that was that, Bird realized.  She was playing with him.  So he would play with her.

 

He brought his lips not to hers, but to her neck, his arms suddenly wrapping around her, keeping her in place as he launched his assault.  Of course, he wasn't holding her tight, she could've easily broken away given just how wiry she was compared to him.  On the contrary though, her hands sought out his jacket to pull him closer, a quiet, giggling sigh escaping her as her back arched.  Finally, he had seen the reason why he was brought over.  It was just as fortunate that their interests aligned.  Bird felt one hand shoot up to the back of his head, gripping his short hair to bring him up to her lips, almost.  She left him not even an inch away, her breathing deep as she stared him down as best as she could from her position under him.  Bird didn't need any instruction, pressing his mouth to hers in a dazed kiss that she was more than happy to reciprocate.

 

There, on that couch, their world shrank to the bar, then to their corner, then finally just to that couch.  The smoke and the drink made it easy to forget that they were in the corner of some dive bar, participating in the smoke ring.  All they could focus on was each other.  Gentle kisses turned into something more, with swipes of tongue and teasing nips.  It wasn't clear who did, but one of them pulled away, both their chests heaving, both their cheeks red.  Bird gulped as he laid eyes on her, a pool of emerald hair beneath her, those lidded golden eyes staring back up at him expectantly.  Of course, Bird couldn't go anywhere far, not in his dazed, addled state, and not with her still on him.  So she rose, knitting fingers together to stretch her arms over her head, making damn sure to keep right in front of him.  She glanced over her shoulder, silently motioning to the door with a nod of her head.  Bird rose slowly from the couch, sore from sitting for who knows how long, his hands ghosting over her waist as he looked down on her.  With a sly smile, she took his hand and headed for somewhere darker...