This chapter is longer than the others and for that I apologize, if you think its too long let me know and I'll make sure to keep the chapters shorter and update more often. As always I love getting feedback.
Griffin served Kassey and Patrick drinks as Marlin walked in, staring at his feet as he shut the door behind him. Griffin started pouring Marlin's usual drink as he took a seat at the bar. He set the drink in front of the farmer as Marlin looked up at him. "Have you seen Lily lately?"
Griffin shook his head and put the bottles on the bar back in their places on the shelf. He hadn't seen Lily since he had given her the wedding invitation a week ago.
"Takakura said he was going away for a couple weeks." Marlin stared at his drink, stirring it slowly as he spoke.
"Oh yeah? When is he leaving?" He tried to fake interest, like a good bartender should.
"He left last Wednesday." Marlin took a big gulp from his glass. Griffin stared at the younger man sitting across the bar, worry creeping in the back of his mind. "Drink's great, as usual."
"Lily has been alone on her farm all week and you haven't checked on her?" He tried to keep his voice steady, though his heart pounded in his chest.
Marlin shrugged. "If she wanted help she'd ask."
"Not if she got hurt." Griffin pointed out.
Marlin looked up from his glass, aware that Kassey and Patrick were staring at him and Griffin. "She is a grown woman, she can take care of herself."
"She is still a child." Griffin nearly yelled, eyes widening at the force behind his own voice.
Marlin finished his drink quickly, wanting to get away. "Since when do you care about newcomers." His question came out more like a statement.
Griffin froze, newcomers never stayed in the valley so he had always avoided knowing them. If he didn't get attached to them he wouldn't care when they left. He glanced at Muffy; a concerned look clouded in her eyes.
"Griffin?" Muffy's voice was soft.
"I don't. Care, that is. Bar's closed. Finish your drinks and leave." He said, slamming his bedroom door behind him.
Muffy stared at the door, pursing her lips slightly. Slowly she picked up Patrick and Kassey's empty mugs put them under the bar to be washed.
After the men had left Muffy went to Griffin's room. He sat in the chair in the corner of the room with his feet on the table. Next to him sat a half empty bottle of dark brown liquid, its stench filled the room.
"Everyone left, Griffin." Muffy stood just inside the door with her hands behind her back.
He took a long drink from the bottle, not bothering to answer her.
"You and Marlin always get along, what happened?"
Again Griffin didn't answer, instead choosing to lean back in his chair, resting it against the wall.
Muffy tapped the toe of her shoe against the floor looking down. "Maybe someone should go check on Lily? I mean since no one has seen her in awhile." She trailed off
"You can." He grumbled. Stretching he bumped his guitar that had been leaned against the wall and sent it clamoring to the floor.
She sighed and picked up the guitar and set it on the table next to his feet. "I will after I change." She spat at him. Changing out of her red dress into something more comfortable she came back down the stairs only to find Griffin gone, bottle too, and the front door left hanging open, still swaying gently.
Griffin stumbled down the road. No one else was out which left the road in a surreal, eerie silence. Not even the wind was blowing, and stumbling up the dirt path to Lily's farm he could see the lights were off in Lily's house. A small brown and white dog bounded up to him, barking as it ran. Once it reached him it ran circles around his feet, tail thumping against his shins. The light was still on the barn though it was nearly midnight, he opened the barn door dropping the bottle he had carried as he stumbled in. Lily leaned against the cow, her forehead pressed in the animal's side side as she milked. She turned when she heard the door open.
"Griffin?" Lily's voice was laced with confusion. Standing, she wiped her hands on her skirt. "What are you doing here?" She asked catching his arm to keep him from falling
"Came ta see you." His words came out gruff and slurred.
The scent of alcohol drifted off him and filled her nose, making her turn her head away. "Are you drunk?"
Griffin fell over, laughing, into the pile of hay stacked to one side of the barn.
"I'll be right back." Lily picked up the bucket of milk and ran it over to the cold storage, trying not to spill. Griffin still laid in the hay stack when she came back. Sighing, she grabbed his hand with both of hers and tried pulling him to his feet. Griffin wobbled on his feet, teetering side to side until Lily put one of his arms over her shoulder and her arm around his waist.
"Lemme go, I can get home." He mumbled.
She glared up at him. "You are not walking home like this."
"Hm.."
Once in the house Lily sat him down on her bed and returned to the door, calling Abel, the dog, back inside for the night. Griffin sat on the bed in a drunken stupor, laughing to himself. She kneeled on the ground and pulled his brown boots off, feeling like a mother more than an acquaintance as she put his boots on the mat to the side of the door. She handed him a glass of water. "Drink it."
Griffin drank from the glass as obediently as a child, then handed it to her when he had finished. Griffin mumbled incoherently to himself as Lily took his jacket off, now suddenly aware how close her face was to his as he looked up at her. This was the first time Lily had noticed his eyes, they were deep brown, bright and innocent like a child's. She untied the strip of leather that held his hair back, letting his hair fall, finding it was much longer than she had expected. She moved away to hang his jacket up on the hook above his boots but before she took a step she noticed an odd expression on his face. He had the same innocent eyes but had opened his mouth slightly, his features looked softer and younger with his hair down hiding the little gray he had. She had to wonder when the last time he had been so close to someone was, then it struck her, that look, pain and loneliness, like a forgotten child. She hung up his jacket and put the hair tie on the nightstand. Gently she touched his shoulder as he laid down. "Get some sleep. It's late." She glanced at the clock, just a little after 1 AM. Kneeling, Lily pulled a thick blanket from underneath the bed and left it half folded on the floor. Laying down on it, Abel curled up against her stomach with a happy lick to her chin. Listening to Griffin's breathing, he started taking deeper and more even breaths as he fell asleep, that being the last thing she heard as she fell asleep.
Lily awoke at 5:30am, slightly surprised with herself for not over sleeping. She looked at Griffin still asleep in her bed. "So that really happened…It wasn't a dream…" She said to herself. She folded the blanket she had slept on and shoved it back under the bed, quietly going outside. She watered the crops she had planted last week, the soil was good with the help of the fertilizer she had purchased so the plants were growing fast, even the fruit trees had sprouted. She collected the eggs from the two chickens she had purchased then put them in the outside pen she had built with Takakura's help. She went about her morning chores as normal, last night's events weighing heavily on her mind. Why did he come here? She wondered. Putting the pail of milk in the cold storage she nearly hit Muffy with the door as she flung it open.
"Good morning Muffy." Lily closed the door more gently than she had opened it.
Muffy wrung her hands. "Have you seen Griffin? He left the bar late last night and he hasn't come home." She spoke hurriedly, jumbling words together making her hard to understand. "I thought he'd be back by morning but he's still not back yet and I'm-"
"He's here." Lily cut her off.
"Here?"
"Yeah, he showed up drunk and I had him stay the night rather than walk back to the bar." Lily noticed the condescending look Muffy was giving her. "I just didn't think it was a good idea to send him on his way that late at night…and the state he was in." She added. "I'll tell him he worried you when he gets up."
Muffy nodded slowly, still taking in what Lily had said, her golden curls bounced slightly as she did. "Thank you." She said sounding distracted, without another word she turned to leave and Lily went back to the house. Griffin stirred when she closed the door, quietly she poured him a glass of water and left it on the nightstand for him as she started making a simple breakfast of eggs and toast.
Griffin woke up a short time after Lily set the table. He laid in her bed for a minute, observing the room and trying to recall the previous night but the alcohol had left him with only fragments of memory. Sitting up he grimaced at the ache in his lower back.
"Good morning Griffin." Lily's voice was cheerful but sounded more tired than usual.
"I'm sorry, I'm an old fool." The words slipped out of his mouth before he was even aware he was speaking and then he couldn't stop. "I'll give you free drinks at the bar next time you come in."
Lily put eggs and toast on the plate closer to him. "That isn't necessary. You were no trouble."
He noticed the dark circles under her eyes, they aged her significantly.
"Muffy did come looking for you this morning though so you should probably eat and get back to the bar soon."
Griffin shook his head. "I'll eat when I get back."
"I already made enough for two."
He met her eyes, he could see there was no use arguing with her and took a seat at the table. She sat across from him, and they ate in a comfortable silence for most of their meal. "I am sorry. I hope I didn't say or do anything off putting." He mumbled.
"I told you it was fine." She gave him a forgiving smile. "I honestly thought you hated me."
Griffin shook his head. "It's just best not to get attached to people."
She picked her toast apart. "Why do you say that?"
"People leave."
"I'm not leaving." She said matter of faculty, finishing her toast. "You're stuck with me." She gave him a smirk.
"We'll see."
After breakfast Lily cleared the table as Griffin collected his belongings and tied his hair back, getting ready to leave. "I'll walk you out." Lily smiled. Lily had a bounce in her step walking toward the road, spinning around to look at him occasionally. "You know you are rather handsome when you smile."
He hadn't been aware of the faint smile on his lips until she drew his attention to it. "Don't say things like that."
Lily spun around into Takakura.
"Watch where you're goin'." He caught her and patted her head like a child, a paternal gleam in his eyes. "Hello Griffin."
Griffin nodded his greeting and started to walk around them.
"Griffin stayed the night." Lily started talking immediately. "I slept on the floor. I thought you wouldn't be back for a few more days."
Takakura raised an eyebrow and turned his attention to Griffin.
"Its a long story Tak, nothing happened. I need to be getting back to the bar though." Griffin walked away briskly, wishing he were invisible
Lily smiled at Takakura. "I'm glad you're back." She said quickly before running toward Vesta's farm.
Griffin closed the door of the bar quietly behind him, hoping Muffy wouldn't hear it. Walking into his room, the first thing he saw was Muffy sitting on his still made bed.
"You look like you're in a good mood." She said bluntly. "She's a little young for you, isn't she?"
The smile fell from his face. "Yeah, I know she is. I don't know what I was thinking last night." He mumbled.
"You weren't." Muffy glared at him. "You still need to clean the bar before we open." With that she stormed out leaving Griffin standing in the middle of his room, a lost look clouding his features.