"Did I really have to come with you to this?" Ishimaru complained to Chihiro as they neared the bar they were headed to, flapping his long coat in an awkward fashion.
It was a cold night of the run up to Halloween and she had somehow managed to convince him to attend a costume party at one of the local gay bars.
"Of course. You can't expect me to go by myself do you? What if I'm kidnapped? Someone as small and cute as me couldn't possibly fight back I could get hurt and you'd just leave me?"
"Alright stop being over dramatic, also I thought you were meeting your friend here anyway"
"Hehe fine, but you're here now so you might as well stay" she giggled, the wings of her bee costume flapping as she skipped along merrily.
Once inside the building Chihiro stretched up to talk to Ishimaru over the noise "okay, I'm gonna go find my friend, we're meant to be meeting him here. You wait here, I'll be back soon", she quickly left before he could protest.
15 minutes since he had been left and Ishimaru was still leant against a wall by the bar. He had contemplated texting Chihiro and leaving but figured if this 'friend' didn't show he wouldn't want to leave her alone. Deciding to at least check on the situation, he pulled out his phone to ask where she was. Before he could type his message however, his phone was pulled from his hand. "Hey there sexy, you lonely?"
He looked up to see a tall, masked stranger holding his phone.
"Hey that's-" he started angrily but was cut off by the man placing a finger against his lips.
"Shhh. How about you come dance with me instead of textin'?" the question was clearly rhetorical, the fact made clear as he slipped the phone into Ishimaru's back pocket, his hands following and remaining there, pulling him towards the dance floor.
"I'm actually waiting for a friend" Ishimaru put his hands up between them and tried to push the man away but he only pulled him closer, beginning to grind against him, "they won't mind"
"Stop" he muttered, still attempting to distance himself. He felt more than uncomfortable, he wanted to be left alone. Repeating himself having been ignored, Ishimaru pushed back with with greater force than before, finally causing the guy to lose balance and stumble back slightly. While he was glad to have the space something about the man's expression told him that was a bad choice. His expression was pure anger.
"I said let's dance" he spoke through gritted teeth, violently reaching forward the grab on to him.
"He said stop, back off" suddenly there was a second man stood between them, facing the first guy.
"Who the fuck are you?"
"His friend"
"So what? You can't let him have some fun without you?"
"He wasn't having fun" he stated simply, "now are you gonna pods the fuck off or am I gonna have to knock you the fuck out"
The other guy huffed, "whatever man, I'll leave you and your little boyfriend alone. He probably wouldn't put out anyway". He had muttered the last sentence but Mondo still heard, punching him in the face with no hesitation in response. A few of the crowd near them looked shocked but majority of the club seemed completely unfazed. Ishimaru wasn't sure if they just somehow hadn't noticed or wether this was a regular occurrence, he wasn't sure which was worse.
He was brought back from his thoughts when the man turned to face him, "you alright there kid?"
"Um- yea" he wasn't, but he nervously stuttered the response nonetheless.
"Here," he held out a glass, "drink this"
"Oh, I don't-"
"It's water" his warm smile comforted Ishimaru. Of course he couldn't completely forget how this man had just knocked out a guy with one punch but something about the guy was soothing to him. He accepted the glass and sipped quietly as the man continued to talk.
"I'm Mondo, do you wanna come sit with me until your friend gets back? My booths just over there, he should see you from here" Ishimaru nodded and sheepishly followed the man to sit down.
"So, what are you supposed to be then, like a pirate or som'in'?" Mondo asked as they sat down.
"Um well I'm actually Dick Turpin." When Mondo raised an eyebrow in confusion, he continued, "He was a notorious highwayman in England during 'time period', robbed travellers at gun point. Very famous figure in English history"
Mondo stayed quiet a moment before responding, "cool… I'm a vampire" he gestured to his own costume.
"Oh, are you a fan of the Dracula book then?"
"Um, not really. This eyeliner just makes my eyes look poppin'"
"Oh" Ishimaru nodded awkwardly.
Mondo quickly changed subject before things got too awkward, "What's you're name anyway, kid?"
"Uh- it's Ishimaru" he stuttered.
Mondo let out a short breathy laugh, "no need to be so nervous kiddo. Guessing this is your first time in a place like this?"
Ishimaru nodded.
"Hey, you wouldn't happen to be here with a kid called Chihiro would ya? I'm meant to be meetin' her, she said she was gonna bring her cute friend for me to meet" he winked.
Ishimaru was blushing wildly and Mondo chuckled in response, "okay the cute addition was a joke but I can't take it back if you're gonna get all blushy like that" he took a sip of his drink casually and smiled as Ishinaru ducked down in his chair.
"Oh, hey Mondo I was looking for you. Since when did you two meet?" Chihiro arrived out of the blue and interrupted Mondo's thinly veiled flirting.
"Sup kidda" Mondo stood and hugged her, letting her slide into the booth, "Ishi here was gettin' fronted on by some creep so he sat with me to wait for you" he explained.
"And the blushing?"
"Your friend can't take a compliment" he winked, "drink?"
Chihiro rolled her eyes and nodded leaving Mondo to set off toward the bar.
"Sorry about him, I should've warned you about his uh- strong personality let's say" she giggled awkwardly before sighing. "He's probably just a little drunk, he gets pretty flirty with alcohol"
"Mhm" Ishimaru responded with a small choked out noise.
Chihiros eyes widened and she slammed her hands on the table suddenly, "Oh. My. God"
"What?"
"You like him don't you"
Ishimaru's eyes widened, "w-what?" He unconvincingly defended himself.
"Oh my god you do. This is great, Ish" Chihiro grinned stupidly.
"In what way is this great"
"I keep saying you should get out there with the boys" she teased, "and Mondo's really sweet, plus he totally thinks you're hot"
Seemingly impossibly Ishimaru blushed even deeper, "r-really?"
"Oh ya, you think he just flirts with anyone? He has surprisingly high standards for someone who sleeps around a lot"
"Y'know you're not exactly selling me on this right now"
"Sorry, but seriously you should maybe flirt back a little. Best case scenario you date, fall in love and I can be a bridesmaid at your wedding"
"How far ahead have you planned this, Jesus" he cut her off.
She rolled her eyes and carried on, "worst case scenario you at least get laid and we both know how much you need that"
Before Ishimaru had a chance to argue Mondo returned to the table.
"What'cha guys talk in' about?" he slid into the booth, placing a drink in front if Chihiro and a second in front of himself.
"You" she replied.
"All good I hope"
"Yea, just how amazing and handsome you are"
"You know that sounds like a joke but like- it's true, sooo"
Chihiro rolled her eyes and giggled, sipping her drink.
"So that it? You just have a secret chat about me?" he sipped his drink awaiting a response.
"Basically yea, that and Ishi's virginity"
"Chi!"
Mondo smirked upon hearing the words: 'virgin'. There was something so appealing about it to him. It was cute and innocent, the exact opposite of him essentially. He bit his lip in concentration for a moment, "Well," he looked Ishinaru up and down hey, we all gotta start somewhere" he winked again as he took another sip.
Ishimaru slid lower in his chair and Chihiro giggled, hitting Mondo lightly on the arm, "c'mon you're embarrassing him"
"As I recall, you brought it up" he smirked.
"Can we just change the subject now?" Ishimaru muttered from behind his arms which were hiding his face.
"Hehe okay" Chihiro giggled back and did as he asked, "you not drinking tonight then Ish?"
"You know I don't drink"
She raised a confused eyebrow, "yes you do"
"No, I don't?" Now he was confused too. Why would Chihiro think he drank? She's the only person he ever goes out with she should know this.
"You drank at New Years last year, and when we went to thingy's birthday the other week"
"Okay, I don't drink in public then. And also that was 1 beer, New Years was your fault anyway, if you hand someone a glass you should warn then there's alcohol in it first"
"Yea, whatever you're just being boring. Mondo, shots!"
"No. No way am I doing shots"
"Yes you are"
Mondo watched on in amusement at their quarrel.
"I am not"
"You are, Mondo c'mon" she tapped him again and he stood.
"Shots it is then" he chuckled and headed back to the bar.
"I'm not doing shots Chi"
"Oh c'mon Ish, don't be a spoil sport. Plus, it'd be good to get you a little wasted; maybe you could get the courage to actually get Mondo's number. Or… I could ask him to give it to you" she teased.
"No! No, don't do that. I'll do the shots alright but I'm not asking him out, I don't even like him"
"Suuuure you don't. You're a terrible liar you know that"
Mondo returned before Ishimaru could argue back and he instead say silent, glaring at her.
Despite his reservations, Ishimaru did the shots and three rounds later (plus the drinks Chihiro had managed to convince him to have) and he was utterly wasted. Chihiro had been right when she's suggested the alcohol would give him confidence, as the night crawled on he began dancing and enthusiastically cheering, flirting with Mondo and trying to get a little frisky, all inhibitions out the window. Eventually the three decided to call it a night, Chihiro getting tired and both her and Mondo agreeing it would be best to take Ishimaru home before he injured himself.
"Alright buddy, c'mon get in the car" Mondo dragged Ishimaru with ease, Chihiro trailing along behind.
"I don't feel good" he mumbled before abruptly stopping and vomiting onto the street.
"Okay, you're okay. Let's get you home"
"Sorry about him, he'll stay with me tonight. Thanks for the lift" Chihiro spoke as they climbed into Mondo's car.
"It's no trouble honestly, make sure he's alright yea?"
"I will do"
They drove silently to Chihiro's home, Ishimaru driving to sleep in his seat.
When they stopped, Mondo gently shook him awake.
"Wake up sleepyhead, this is your stop" he didn't wait for a response before lifting him up and taking him to the front door, "hey Chi could you get that for me" he nodded at the door.
She opened it and he walked inside, gently placing Ishimaru into the sofa.
"He's out, you go to bed he should be fine" Chihiro nodded at Mondo's words and slinked off to bed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.
"Night my sexy highway man" Mondo chuckled to himself as he wrote his number onto a small piece of paper and slipped it into Ishimaru's pocket then leaving the house and driving home.