For everyone who doesn't have a father to celebrate Father's Day with, this fic is for you
Killian Jones poured his shot straight down his throat, reveling in the burn. In that moment, that burn felt like a hug. He truly hated this day.
Most people on Fathers' Day would get their fathers a tie, or take them to lunch. The last time Killian saw father on this day, the only thing Killian had gotten him was bail money.
Liam had tried calling him earlier, but he had let it go to voicemail. He loved his brother dearly, but Killian didn't want Liam to hear how bitter Killian was.
He heard the screech of the mike and turned slightly to see a blond woman take the stage. Killian cursed and really hoped it wasn't another girl thinking she was the next music sensation. Killian couldn't suffer through a music act right now so some girl could fulfill some pop star fantasy. He just wanted to drink his rum in peace.
"Hello everyone. Since we are all at a bar on Father's Day, I'm assuming you're all having a great day," the woman said sarcastically when she finished adjusting the mike. Killian let out a dark grin. Maybe whatever performance this was wouldn't be so bad.
"So my best friend and her husband, David, tried roleplaying. Of course they do the whole 'student failing a class' scenario. It probably wasn't a good idea because she used to be an honor roll student, Dean's List, A+ in everything type of girl who would always freak out when it came to grades." The woman took a pause to try to stop the grin from forming on her face. "And that right there is the reason why David called me, panicking, asking me how to calm down his wife who was having a panic attack."
Killian almost choked on his rum at the story, and peals of laughter erupted from around him.
"But don't get me wrong, Dave is a great guy, he's been my partner down at the station for over five years now. I consider him and Mary Margaret to be family. But sometimes Mary Margaret can be a little too much."
At this point Killian turned around on his barstool, deciding to pay more attention to the act.
"When Mary Margaret and David moved into their first house together, she wanted everything to be a suburban cliche nightmare." She stopped a moment when a few people chuckled. "She even bought herself a fancy mailbox. Not even a metal mailbox with some paint on it, but a carefully crafted plastic one with first and last names on the side of the box. Unfortunately for Mary Margaret, her mailbox was stolen. So she bought another one…..That one got stolen too." The laughter got a little louder. "Eventually she caved and got herself a cheap metal mailbox, so she could finally get her mail. The mailbox was fine for awhile….Until I stole it because at that point someone stealing her mailbox was just tradition." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.
Killian ordered another drink, he was just thrilled that this wasn't some cliche music act, and her comedy bit wasn't half bad.
"OK, now that I got you guys warmed up, my friend Ruby's boyfriend, who is a doctor, started telling me some jokes when he found out that I sometimes do comedy routines. He made me promise him to tell them, so here we go. For your sakes' I'm only telling one of them."
She pulled out a slip of paper from her pocket and unfolded it.
"'Hey baby are you gamma radiation? Because you have the greatest penetrating power.' Oh god that was bad." She shook her head. Killian chuckled at the truly awful joke. "Thank you everyone for tolerating that. I'll tell Victor that his joke got a standing ovation."
At her words a table in the back stood up and clapped furiously, and whistled as the woman on stage took a bow.
"Thank you, thank you, everyone. Unfortunately for you, I'm not quite done yet." She swallowed before going into her next bit. "So my ex boyfriend, was really against weed, but apparently not against cheating." A few people made sympathetic noises when they saw where this story was headed. "So when I caught his boss slinking out of his apartment with her panties sticking out of her purse, I baked my boyfriend some brownies." The woman then looked out into the audience with the evilest smirk Killian had ever seen in his life. Realization dawned on the audience very quickly and her captivated audience lost their minds at her admission.
She blew a kiss into the crowd. "Now everyone, before I get arrested for drug possession, I gotta call quits. Thank you all so much, and have a good night!" She walked off the stage after turning off her microphone.
When the woman walked past him to leave the bar, Killian grabbed her by the elbow. "Hold on a moment lass. What's your name?" he asked her.
She gave him an odd look. "Emma. Is there something you want?" she asked cautiously.
He gave her a smile, one he hoped was friendly. "The name's Killian Jones. I just wanted to thank you for taking my mind off of rather unpleasant things. I didn't think I would find myself laughing tonight."
Emma relaxed even though her elbow was still being grasped by a relative stranger. "No problem, making other people laugh takes my mind off unpleasant things too. It's nice to hear that I made your day less unbearable."
He indicated to the stool next to him. "Let me buy you a drink, lass."
She seemed a little torn, but she nodded after a moment. "Sure, but nothing too strong, and I can't stay long."
"Are you driving?" he asked as he motioned for the bartender. The bartender, who was near enough to hear Emma's request, moved to make her a drink.
"No, I need to pick up my son from my friend's house," she said as the bartender placed a fruity looking drink in front of her.
As he listened to her reason and glanced at her hand, things started to make more sense. "Since you don't have a ring on your left hand, and that you dropped your son off at a friend's house, I'm assuming the lad's father isn't in the picture."
She nodded. "Another personal reason to hate Father's Day. He's at my friend David's. David is the only older male in his life."
Killian nodded along, finding a bit of a kinship with the young woman. "My father is a repeat offender I haven't seen in years."
Emma gave a small head shake. "That's got to suck. Working at the police department, I see stuff like that too much."
Killian took a sip of his rum, he didn't guzzle it down with a sort of desperation like he had before. "It does suck, but at least I have my brother."
Emma gave a tentative smile. "That's got to be nice. Why aren't you with him today?"
"I've been ignoring his calls all day," he said sheepishly.
"Why? David isn't my real brother and we talk all the time, and he didn't even grow up in the same situations I did, but he tries. If I had a sibling who knew what it was like to grow up the same way I did, talking to them would be like therapy to me," she said.
Killian sighed and pulled his phone from his pocket, seeing the unread messages from Liam. "You're right," he said to Emma.
She smiled to him as he got up. But he wasn't done with her just yet. "I'm going to go give my brother a call, but first I would like to get your number."
She smiled as if she was telling him an inside joke. "Little 'ole me?"
He downed the rest of his rum. "Of course, lass, not getting the number of a pretty lady who can make a man forget his woes better than copious amounts of drink would be an unfortunate mistake on my part."
She stole his phone and quickly put in her number. She fingered the rim of her glass as she watched him stare at his phone before making his way out the door.
"Goodnight, Emma."
She gave him a small wave. "Good luck with your brother, Jones."
He stepped outside of the bar, the cool summer air a welcome surprise from the stuffy air in the bar, but the summer breeze didn't smell as savory as the attractive woman who had been finishing off her drink when he left.
"Killian, is there something wrong?" Liam asked, ending his question with a yawn.
Hearing his brother's voice made him feel lighter, Emma was right, he did need his brother.
"No, Liam, everything is fine. I just wanted to say thank you, thank you for always being there. Screw our father, all I really need to celebrate is you."
Liam took a long pause before speaking. "Well little brother-"
"Younger brother," Killian lightheartedly grumbled.
"-I'm glad to hear that from you. I've been worried about you all day. How about tomorrow we get lunch together?"
Killian's eyes misted up a little. "I'd like that. Happy Father's Day, brother."