Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of this work of fiction, and no profit, monetary or otherwise, is being made through writing this.
A/N: Slight AU where Joe comes to Hawaii to pick up Steve after Doris' 'death'. Written for the prompt: drinking alone, posted at fan flashworks on dreamwidth. Set pre-series.
"John." Joe slid onto the bar stool beside his friend, and gestured for the bartender to pour him a shot of the whiskey that John had his fingers loosely curled around.
His friend raised bloodshot eyes and scowled at him. Joe sighed, but offered John a smile and a nod of thanks when the bottle was relinquished for a moment. Once the drink was poured and set up in front of Joe, John poured a glass for himself and gripped the bottle a little tighter.
"I didn't invite you to join me," he said roughly.
Joe shrugged and tossed his drink back. "Didn't ask for an invite."
"Leave me alone," John said, weary.
"I can't do that," Joe said. "You shouldn't be here, drinking alone."
John shook his head and laughed - a bitter, self-deprecating bark of sound. He gestured around him and smiled wide, crazy. "I'm not alone," he said. "I've got all these people drinking with me."
Joe said nothing. Instead, he coaxed the bottle from John's fingers once again, poured himself another drink and sat beside his grieving friend, hating that John was feeling this way, that his best friend was pushing him away. Hated what he'd come to Hawaii to do at his friend's request, take Steve back to the mainland with him. There was no way that any of this would end well, but he knew that John wouldn't listen to him, that there was nothing he could do to stop any of what had been set into motion from happening. The only thing he could do was be there for John and Steve, and do his best not to let either of them fall apart.
