You and Me and Us Together
First shot at an X-Men story. Hope I did okay.
She watched him sit at the bar with a cigar in one hand and a beer in the other. His dark eyes followed the beautiful girl walking about the large room. Typical behavior of any man, mutant or not. Oh yes, she knew.
This man was bulky, nothing but hard bronze muscle. His jaw was strong and partially covered in facial hair running a short span from his mutton chop sideburns to his chin. Such a brooding yet grudgingly handsome individual he was. There was something primal… something… savage about him. Was that what type of mutant he was? A feral mutant? He seemed to emit a sense of strength and raw power. The scowl upon his rugged face was enough warning to frighten anyone that dared cross his path, yet to her, was completely amusing. Her chuckle was soft, barely audible, the smile curling her pink lips small. Oh yes, he would do quite nicely, she mused.
He drank the remainder of his beer in one swallow. She settled the glass she had been wiping clean down upon the table. "Another cold one, honey?" she queried. Her voice was aged but soft and sweet. The stranger coughed shortly before replying with a curt, "Yeah." After a quick sniff he slipped his cigar in between his lips, looking up and watching as the old woman bar tending the local inn of whatever the hell small town he was currently in turned her back and walked away to retrieve his drink. She had been watching him with those tired blue eyes from the moment he had entered. Oh yes, he knew.
The old broad was tall and slim and carried a distinct odor of lavender mixed with the scents of cigarette smoke and liquor, perhaps from the bar itself. Her wrinkled skin was a soft creamy shade and she had a good figure for a woman of her age which he guessed to be about fifty. Her greying hair cascaded smoothly past her shoulders. Her high cheekbones gave her face delicate features albeit she was not striking in the conventional sense. Her hands, from what he could see, told of many years of hard labor. She seemed the type of woman who had lived a hard life yet still radiated calm integrity.
"Here you are dear" she chimed as she returned with a fresh bottle. She twisted the cap off and handed the beverage over. The stranger thanked her with a bob of the head and took a mouthful. The old woman quirked a brow as she witnessed the event, tittering softly. "Slow down there hon." Her response was a gruff grunt as he set the bottle down onto the table. Whilst clearing his throat, he retrieved another cigar from the pocket of his leather jacket and lit it, slipping it in between his lips.
The woman returned to her prior spot, taking the rag hanging from over her shoulder. She wiped a new glass in silence and allowed the country music playing from the old jukebox to fill her ears. Around her the large bar seated six local regular patrons of all ages, shapes, and sizes.
She glanced to the stranger. His dark eyes hardened when he met her gaze. "Problem?" he inquired brusquely. He possessed a deep baritone voice. She smiled. "Not at all, hon." He grunted yet again and looked away, eyes trailing off to a different direction. Her smile remained, seeming as friendly as ever. "You're a man of few words, aren't you?"
His response never came in which she merely chortled, looking up to the clock hanging on the wall behind her. Her smile faded, her lips straightening into a thin line. Where was that girl? It was fifteen till ten. She was supposed to arrive an hour ago.
She placed the glass down and called out, "Candy." A young blond haired woman dressed in a plaid crop top and short jeans shorts, stopped at her name. "Yes, Lena?" She was a college student struggling with tuition. She wore a cowboy hat over braided pigtails and cowboy boots.
"Do you know where Nina is?" the old woman questioned. The girl shrugged her shoulders, "You got me. I haven't heard from her." At Lena's nod, she returned to the floor to serve the ordered drinks. Lena sighed and removed her metal framed glasses to rub her eyes. She seemed to age a few extra years as worried thoughts raced through her mind. What was she to do with Nina? Where could she be? Was she alright? Why hadn't she called?
"Handful, is she?" the stranger spoke. Lena slipped her glasses back a top her nose. "Immensely" she replied. "Never a day where I don't worry about that girl." The stranger grunted softly, taking a drink. His eyes followed the sound of a door swinging open. His breath hitched, caught in his throat.
A beautiful, ethereal girl. Milky skin, raven hair up in a bun with two strands framing her face. Her lips were a vibrant red and her eyes were a bright green. She was clothed in a stark black gown that exposed her flat toned stomach and arms which were covered in spiraling tattoos. Her face was so stunning it was almost painful to look at. She too carried a soothing sensual, light, and fragrant smell of lavender.
She panted as if out of breath and approached the bar, a sorrowful look contorting her features. "Lena," she exhaled. "I'm late, I know, I'm sorry." She took the glass of water offered and drank noisily. Lena waited patiently, glancing to the stranger who faced away from her, eyes on Candy. She knew it was just a farce and he was actually listening in on their conversation. She looked away as she heard the tap of the glass against the wood of the table.
Sighing and wiping her lips, Nina spoke, "The truck broke down." Lena quirked a brow in question, her posture switching from casual to apprehension. "What do you mean the truck broke down?" Nina's expression grew confused. "What do you mean what do I mean? The truck just stopped moving."
"Did you remember to put gas in it?"
Nina scoffed, "Of course I did. That's where the last of my money went."
"Well then, what happened exactly?"
"I was on my way here to pick you up when the truck made a weird noise and then all of a sudden it just stopped. I tried several times but it wouldn't start."
"What kind of noise did it make?"
"Is that relevant?"
"It may be."
Nina exhaled in frustration. "Like… gears grinding or something, I don't know!" She threw her hands up in a dramatic manner. Lena breathed wearily and set her hands firmly on the table. "That's all we needed."
"Well what does it mean? What's wrong with it?" Nina queried. Lena shook her head. "It sounds like the engine, I'm not sure. I won't know until I take it to a mechanic."
"And how much is that going to cost?"
"It won't be cheap."
"Oh my god" Nina sniffed, blinking back tears. "What are we going to do, Lena? We're barely surviving." Her voice rose an octave. Quickly Lena stepped from behind the bar and set her hands firmly over the girl's arms. "Hush up now" she spoke softly, "Don't you worry. We'll figure something out." She squeezed her arms lightly. "Now, how far did you leave the truck?"
"About a mile from here." Nina's reply had Lena's eyes widening. "A mile?" she sputtered, "H-how did you get here then?" The girl shrugged her shoulders, speaking rather nonchalantly. "I walked… well, ran, actually." Lena's sigh was full of disappointment in which Nina grew defensive. "What? Nothing happened."
The stranger watched as Lena dropped her hands from the girl's arms and placed them on her hips. "That's not the point, Nina. Something could have happened. Especially with you walking around dressed like that. Why didn't you just-"
"I don't know, god!" Nina exclaimed. "It didn't occur to me!" Lena heaved a groan. Oh lord. She nodded but it was perfunctory. "Okay, Nina. Just… go on back and get ready to close." Nina bobbed her head and said in a small soft voice, "Okay." She walked off in an almost deflated manner, her shoulders slumped. Her racing mind missed the opportunity to acknowledge the stranger as she passed by him.
He watched her cross a door behind the bar and disappear from sight. His gaze then turned onto Lena, watching as she sat down and set her elbows onto the table. She dropped her head into her hands and exhaled heavily. "Lord have mercy…" Her voice had been muffled but he'd heard it clear as day.
She sat in silence for a long moment, her mind a thousand miles away. What was she to do? How could she fix this? The bar was failing and now the truck. When would it end? She was in deep. She couldn't deny it any longer. She groaned. God was she tired. So tired…
She turned her attention to the stranger as she felt his eyes on her. "Want anything else, hon?" He shook his head, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Are you sure?" Lena requested, "You look like you could use a nice home cooked meal."
He cleared his throat. "I'll take another beer." Lena tried on a smile that was a size too small. "Coming right up." She stood from the seat with a soft grunt, her tired old bones protesting the entire time. She made way to the refrigerator where she kept the bottles and retrieved one. "Here you are dear" she said whilst twisting the cap off. "Let me know if you change your mind about that meal." She winked and started off toward the jukebox, bending down to unplug it. The patrons groaned as the music died. "Closing time boys" she announced. She chuckled softly at the protests.
"Aw, come on Lena."
"It's still early."
"Another hour, I had a full house."
She shook her head. "Sorry boys, this old broad needs her rest."
"You heard her," Candy spoke up, "You don't have to go home but you have to get out of here." With disappointed groans, the six men stood and exited slowly, each regular bidding goodbye as Candy led them out.
Lena chortled softly, thankful to still have their business. The bar would have closed years ago if it hadn't been for them. She turned at the call of her name. Candy stood behind her, a nervous look contorting her face. "I… uh…" she began with hesitance, "I was hoping I could leave early tonight. I've got an early class tomorrow." She bit her lip.
The old woman smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it, hon, go on home. Nina and I will take care of the cleanup." Candy grinned brightly, "Thank you!" She hugged the old woman. "I promise I'll make it up to you!" Giggling, she trotted out the front door.
Lena breathed softly and picked up a discarded tray, working on gathering up empty bottles. What a night. She stifled a yawn as she set three near empty glasses and bottles onto the tray she balanced against her hip. For six men, they sure drank a plenty.
She jumped from the sudden touch on her shoulder, a few bottles falling from her grasp and shattering. She whipped around to lay eyes on the stranger and laughed in relief and embarrassment. "Oh hon, you scared me half to death!" She placed a hand over her rapid beating heart and frowned as she looked to the mess on the floor. "Oh my…"
"Lena!" Nina came in bursting through the door of the kitchen. She stopped mid step as she came upon the sight of perhaps the most attractive man she had ever seen standing alongside Lena. "W-what's going on?"
"Oh, Nina. It's alright." Lena said, "Just a little slip up is all." Nina quirked a brow as she stepped deeper into the room. "Who's this?" Her eyes met the strangers. She couldn't help but notice just how handsome he was. She couldn't help but stare.
"Him?" Lena began, "Why, he's our new hired help." The man's eyes widened in surprise, his thick brow lifting. His expression asked the question of, what now? Lena patted his strong back. "I promised him a home cooked meal, didn't I…?" She paused then and looked to him hoping for him to catch on and introduce himself. His face set in his usual scowl. "Logan" he spoke shortly.
So how did I do? Good? Bad? Okay? What? Feel free to let me know in a review~ Thanks for reading!