Wine, Smoke, and Love.

This story takes place in a AU, so it's a bit different than what I usually write. I know I have another story to finish, and I plan to make another one while doing this one as well.

I am going to try this out, and tell me what you think. This is way different than normal Storm Hawks stuff. I just got tired of writing about Cyclonians and all that…and I've read other SH fics that were like this, so those are what inspired me to do this.

Aerrow's POV

The sun was slowing down, and night was beginning to fall over the city of Atmos. With the dark, night sky ready to approach, the city took on a different face. At this hour, crooks and thieves walked about, scanning the areas for their next victims. People walked about, mingling together in a heated mess. Cell phones rang and voices arose. In the city, night time made no difference to anyone or any kind of business. Buildings glowed with bright lights and eye-catching advertisements. No star was visible, but how could I ever tell? I barely knew what a star even looked like. I pushed through the people with ease, taking no notice in anyone's face. From behind me, I could already hear the struggled screams of men and women as they were claimed under the hands of the city's biggest fear, the Night Crawlers. That was what we called them. They never came out during the day, for it was too obvious and they were vulnerable to the Atmos Police. But at night, they were unbeatable and highly unpredictable. No one saw them coming. They camouflaged into the dark allies, their black hoodies and masks covered them from pure sight.

I arrived at my apartment, climbing up the rusted stairs that escalated along the side of the building. I made sure to move slow, the thin metal old and breakable beneath my body weight. I held my bag close to me, making sure it couldn't fall. Once I reached my window, I brought my fist to it, knocking on it. I could see my pal, Finn as he lied lazily on the couch, his usual cigarette hanging from his mouth loosely. He heard me, cracking a crooked smile, his teeth glowing their usual yellowish tent. He stumbled his way to the window, tripping over his own feet as he clumsily placed his hands at the window. He slid it open and within a few seconds a gush of smoke and alcohol flooded my nose. I winced at the vile smell, but I adapted to it quickly. It always smelt like this. I hoisted myself up and through the window. I stood up and faced myself to an incoherent Finn. I checked the bag as I looked in it to see if the contents were fine. Finn eyed it, and smiled.

"Took you long enough!" Finn slurred, his words running together in a sloppy mess with a breeze of potent alcohol to follow.

I dusted the smoke from his cigarette out of my eyes, fluttering my eyelids to brush it away. "Sorry pal, you know how this city is." I smiled as I patted his shoulder. He laughed and brought me to the couch to sit with him.

"Yeah, crazy place." He removed his cigarette, tapping at it with his fingers over the ash tray that sat next to him. He smashed the edge of the cigarette and leaving it there in the mess of ashes. "So you got all the goods?" He asked as he looked at me expectantly through those glassy blue eyes of his.

I grinned as I opened up the bag, pulling out three fresh packs of cigarettes. "Right here, man." I handed a pack to him, leaving one for me and saving the other for last. We opened the packs together, placing a new cigarette in our lips. "Hey, you got a lighter?" I asked.

Finn searched through the pocket of his ripped jeans and handed me his lighter. "That's my last one."

I took it, lighting up my cigarette. "I got you covered." As the rush of smoke coiled in my veins, I felt at peace. My body relaxed and I was rejuvenated greatly. I fiddled through the bag, finding the extra lighter I had bought.

"Oh, thanks Aerrow." He said gleefully as he took the lighter from me.

We both sat there, smoking and chatting like we did every night. Finn drank another round of alcohol, literally drinking away any bit of sanity he had left. He was wired up, practically jumping off the walls. I laughed at him, sipping on the pure red wine I liked to drink every night. Finn called me a sissy for drinking it, but every time he did I gave him the exact same response. Red wine is just as potent as alcohol, you idiot is what I would say. I guess he didn't get the fact that wine had alcohol in it as well. That's why I was the smart one in the friendship.

This was my life. I had Finn as my best friend and together me and him pulled through life, carelessly living it up. On some nights, Finn's girlfriend Olivia would drag as out to the night club where she worked. It was nice to go there, each time I went I ended up with a different girl. I wasn't one for a stable relationship. In fact, I wasn't the most romantic guy out there. I was perfect for the night, but once morning came I was gone.

Finn and I didn't have a job until Olivia made us bar-tenders at her night club. We worked Saturday nights, leaving the Friday nights for us to have fun on.

So, the only things in life I really had were wine, smoke…and…Finn. But then there my other friends. Junko, Stork, and my pet Radarr. They came over every now and then to play games or watch TV, but I honestly couldn't remember the last time they were here. Besides the mystery of whether they were coming over or not, I had a pretty predictable life.

My favorite things in life: Wine, Smoke, and Friends. No love for me, I didn't want to waste time on that stuff…too much drama. Heck, I'd be perfectly fine if I never found true love for my whole life. Like I said, I was perfect for the night but once morning came I was gone.

Should I continue? : ) Yeah, I know it's a bit short. Starting stories aren't easy for me but once I get this thing rolling, it'll get better.