Elvis could easily have sat there watching her sleep all night. He longed to just get in beside her and hold her, but something was pulling him away - a force which he couldn't quite explain.
OG
"Same again mate." Charlie said as the bartender cleared away the empty pint glass in front of him. What was he even doing here? Sat in some godforsaken bar-come-nightclub on his own on a Saturday night. After he'd left the house he realised he didn't know where he was going so he'd just started walking and somehow ended up here. This place wasn't his scene at all. The music (which was most certainly not to his taste) thumped steadily, one track blurring into the next. To be honest he welcomed the noise as it helped to drown out his thoughts. He took a long swig from the freshly poured pint the bartender handed to him.
"You absolute fuckin' wanker." The thick Welsh voice in his ear was unmistakably Smurf's.
Charlie half nodded. "Yep." He answered quietly - maybe that's all he was these days. He took another swig as Smurf sat down a couple of seats away where the bar rounded off at the corner.
"No wonder Molly got shot of you." Smurf almost spat. "State of it." He added as he eyed Charlie up and down. He didn't look like the Captain whose command he had once dutifully served under.
"Yea well, who'd wanna stick around with a fucking wanker like me eh?" Charlie said plainly. He then took another drink.
Smurf watched him closely "You tell me... your best mates' fiancé maybe?" He replied snidely.
"Dead best mate." Charlie answered quickly, he wasn't sure why he'd clarified that.
"Same difference." Smurf shrugged.
They sat in silence for a moment, Charlie's eyes never leaving his glass and Smurf's never leaving Charlie. When Charlie went to take another drink Smurf suddenly rose from his barstool and grabbed his glass, pushing it back down firmly onto the surface of the bar, Charlie's hand was still grasped round it. He was taken by surprise and he looked straight at Smurf. He was seething, there was no mistaking the hate and anger in his eyes.
"Molly was the best thing that ever happened to me... and she chose you." He spoke right in Charlie's face in an almost growl. "You were supposed to look after her. But no, you royally fucked things up instead. Now you're gonna pay. For what you did to me. To her. To your best mate."
Charlie's eyes widened and a sly grin broke out on Smurf's face. "Yea that's right, I know what happened in Afghan. I know you're the reason he died. You're the reason his missus is left broken." He paused while Charlie digested what he was saying. "You think you can just shag her and it'll make it all go away, don't you? Don't you?" Smurf inched closer and closer to him. Charlie didn't blink. His eyes fixed on Smurf's who were searching his, waiting for him to break.
"You're right." Charlie said calmly after a few moments. Smurf was taken aback by his response - he was ready and waiting for a fight. He took a step back.
Charlie couldn't even be bothered to fight it anymore, he knocked back the rest of his beer, left some money on the side of the bar and stood up to leave.
As Charlie exited through one door - Smurf following closely behind him - Elvis entered the bar through a seperate entrance. He scanned the room, his eyes searching, though he wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for.