Drinking Alone, Together
Inspired by onlyhereforellick, Carrie Underwood's "Drinking Alone" and Dan + Shay's "Alone Together"
Let me make one thing clear
You can buy me a beer, but you ain't taking me home
No pick up lines, I came here tonight to shed a few tears on my own
This was stupid. She was a newly single woman at a bar in LA, yet she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it. Her divorce had been finalized yesterday and, thanks to Gibbs giving her a week off, she hopped on the first flight available to Los Angeles once the ink had dried. All she needed was some sun, sand, and ocean to take her mind off of Jackass (the name Tony and McGee had given her now ex.) Sure she had enjoyed the beach this morning, and the multitude of shirtless, sun-kissed men didn't hurt, but tonight it seemed all she could do was sit at the bar and drown her sorrows in beer. She thanked her lucky stars that she couldn't get drunk as she looked at the many beer bottles piled up in front of her, all empty except for the lime sitting at the bottom. The bar must not be frequented by too many non-regulars on a Tuesday as all the guys attention was focused on her. She had brushed them all off, not looking for anything tonight, no, not this soon. It seemed like the guys in the room had finally taken the hint when she felt eyes burning into the back of her head. Turning around on her barstool, she locked eyes with the guy sitting in the corner booth.
I couldn't help but notice you were sitting by yourself
Dropping limes in a Corona like you're trying to get over somebody else
He was an idiot. Nick Torres was a skilled undercover agent, yet he let himself get too close to his mark's daughter, Alaina, which led to his cover being blown. Had it not been for his teammates, he would be dead right now. Instead, he just received a long lecture from Hetty who told him to take a week while awaiting Vance's orders and a verbal lashing from Alaina who was livid when she found out their relationship was a lie. Had her father not been an international arms dealer maybe things could've been different. He found himself sitting at the corner booth of his favorite bar, the Squid and Dagger. It was a Tuesday night so thankfully the crowd was limited to regulars and Kensi and Deeks had taken the night off, making his chance of being hit on low and giving him the time alone he needed as he peeled label after label from the beers piling up on his tab. Halfway through his third beer of the night he looked up and saw a woman he'd never seen before sitting at the bar. He watched as she turned away guy after guy and dropped slices of lime into her seemingly endless bottles of beer. He hadn't realized he had been staring until she turned around and they locked eyes for the first time that night.
But sitting there across the room
I couldn't help but notice you seem a little down on your luck too
Yeah, my heart might be breaking
But, this seat ain't taken
And you've got me thinkin'
Ellie was momentarily frozen when she saw the man who was staring at her. She had caught sight of him earlier but his head was down and he clearly wanted nothing to with anyone, besides, he would never go for her. He obviously spent time at the gym if his arms were any indication and she suddenly wondered what the rest of his muscles looked like under that shirt. Normally, Ellie would've blushed and shied away at the cocky smirk he sent her way but not now. No, tonight she was going to be flirty and confident with Mr. Corner Booth. She slowly licked her lips and tossed her hair as she turned back to the bar.
It's funny how your story sounds a little like mine
Oh, cause' I've been at a table with a bottle peeling labels to pass the time
Nick had to hold in a breath when the blonde at the bar finally turned his way. She was unlike anyone he had seen before and he suddenly found himself wanting her. He couldn't help but smirk when he felt her eyes look him over. He didn't expect her tongue to dart out, licking her bright red lips and throwing her golden hair over her shoulder, a sparkle in her eyes as she faced the bar again. Pushing back his drink, he walked over to the bar, standing by the barstool to her right.
Yeah, my heart might be breaking
But, this seat ain't taken
And you've got me thinkin'
"I um, couldn't help but notice you sitting by yourself. Care for company?" His voice was lower than she expected and suddenly she felt herself getting nervous. Maybe she really did have one too many beers if she actually thought she could flirt with this man, he was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. Not able to find her voice yet she waved her hand at the seat next to her and cleared her throat.
"Seat's not taken, go for it." The stranger sat down and turned towards her. All confidence went out the window when she saw his eyes and, oh my gosh his muscles were even larger up close. Reverting back to her usual self she looked down at the beer she was nursing and tried to brush him off. "No need to work the pick up lines tonight. I'm not going home with you."
A shocked look crossed his face but he quickly masked it, not wanting to turn her away any more than he already had. He really thought she was interested. Maybe he was wrong and her actions weren't her flirting with him across the room.
"Okay." He drew out. "Well then can at least buy you a beer? You look like you're a little down on your luck." She scoffed.
"Yeah well, you don't look much better mister. I've seen your table and the amount of labels you have piling up over there speak volumes." She internally berated herself. Here was this smoking hot guy that actually seemed interested in her, even if just for the night, and she was talking to him about his beer intake of all things.
So this was how it's gonna go. "Oh and you're doing so much better miss 'six beers down'? I've been watching you drop lime after lime in your drinks. I'm surprised they have any left."
"Look." She turned towards him with a glare, arms crossed over her chest. "As cheesy and predictable as it sounds, I just came here tonight to shed a few tears over my beer so if you're not gonna let me do that then you can just go back over there." Her arms unraveled then as she pointed back to the booth he came from.
"Okay. Okay." He raised his hands in surrender, laughing quietly. "I'm sorry. Look, we're both obviously going through something rough right now so," he held out his hand to the booth, "why don't you join me over here where it's more comfortable and I'll buy the next round of drinks." She seemed skeptical so he continued. "Besides, what's that saying? Misery loves company." That actually got a laugh out of her and she turned towards him.
We should be drinking alone, together
Drownin' the pain is better
With somebody else who got problems
We ain't gonna solve 'em
But misery loves company
"Fine. You win. But I'm done with the beer. I need something stronger." She slid off the stool and waited as he ordered a bottle of Reposado to be delivered to the table. A hand drifted to the small of her back as he led her to the booth.
As he walked behind her he took in her black dress that fell just above her knees, not as short as what's normally seen in LA which led him to believe she wasn't from the area. His eyes trailed down her curves and lingered on her ass before straying down her legs to her bright red heels that somehow matched her lipstick perfectly. Just like before, she could feel his eyes trailing down her body and, gaining confidence, put a little extra sway in her hips. She heard the hitch in his breath and smirked, she could totally do this.
We should be alone together
Kissing over there in the corner
Where nobody else can see
Keeping each other company
When they reached the table she sat down first and, feeling emboldened, scooted to the middle of the booth, daring him to sit next to her. Instead of going around to the other side, he followed right behind her, sitting just a foot away. Neither said a word until the bottle of tequila was placed on the table along with two glasses, a bowl of limes, and a jar of salt. He poured them each a shot and watched as she threw hers back without hesitation. They each downed a shot before either of them spoke up.
"What's your name?" She thought for a moment. If this was some random night with a hot stranger she met in a bar and would never see again there was no way she was giving him her real name.
"Charlie." She spit out, remembering a name Gibbs had made her use for a brief undercover stint her first year at NCIS. She hoped her response seemed natural enough, she was definitely not used to this.
"Charlie." He spoke, testing out her name. He found it really suited her and he liked it. "I'm Luis."
"Well Luis, what brings you here, drowning your sorrows in alcohol on a Tuesday night?" She asked, swirling the clear liquid around in her glass. She may not be able to get drunk but she didn't want to chance anything tonight. If this was leading where she thought it was she wanted to remember everything.
He was on his way to tipsy when she spoke and, it must've been the alcohol flowing through him that made him respond in something close to the truth.
"Bad break up. You?" He watched as she downed the glass she had been staring at before responding.
"Same. I had to get away, figured the West Coast was my best option." Her finger traced around the lip of her now empty glass as she eyed him. Torn between watching her hand or her face, his decision was soon made for him as she brought her finger to her mouth and licked the salt off slowly and damn if it didn't make his thoughts go anywhere but innocent. Pride filled her as she felt him shift next to her and if he got a little closer well, she wasn't complaining.
Taking a deep breath and trying to think with the blood in his brain suddenly farther south, he was finally able to spit out coherent words.
"So uh, how do you like it here?" His voice came out rougher than intended but he couldn't find himself to care.
"Oh it's great. The beach, the shopping…" she trailed off, eyes going darker as she stared right at him. "The scenery." And dammit if that wasn't an invitation. He slid closer to her, bodies now pressed together from shoulder to hip.
Tonight all I need is a stranger
Lips with a whiskey chaser
And a corner booth kiss to make me forget that he's gone
Oh, we should be drinking alone
"Yeah, the scenery is pretty great." Heat pooled in her belly and all rational thought went out the window as she crushed her lips to his. He bit her bottom lip causing a gasp to escape her and he took that opportunity to explore her mouth with his tongue. Her hand went to clasp his neck, playing with the short hairs there, while his gripped her thigh, inching the hem of her dress up.
A light shutting off broke through their haze and she pulled back, looking down.
"Looks like it's closing time. I guess I uh, better go." She started moving away, not wanting to assume he would want to take her home even if their little make out session in the dark corner booth was leading there. He reached out to grab her wrist, halting her movements.
"Where are you going?" She looked at him like it was obvious then glanced around, seeing no one else in the bar.
"Um, home? Well, back to my hotel. Looks like they're shutting down for the night." He shook his head and pulled her back down to him.
"Stay. I know the owner, it's my night to lock up anyway." Shocked, she nodded and watched as he walked over and locked the front doors then dashed into the kitchen to ensure everyone else was gone. Instead of sitting down when he came back, he grabbed her hand and pulled her flush up against him. "Now, where were we?"
Head tilted to the side, she gave him an innocent look as she brought her finger up to her mouth and tapped her lips, letting out a 'hmm.' It was not a look he expected from her but he couldn't deny it did something for him.
He attacked her lips again, backing her up until her back hit the pool table. She pulled away then, making sure the pool table was clear before sitting herself on the edge. His lips were back on hers in an instant and her hands went to the hem of his shirt. Before he knew it, his shirt was being flung across the room to the booth they had previously occupied and her hands were trailing up and down his chest. Needing to feel more of her, one hand travelled down to the hem of her dress and began inching it up slowly while the other tangled in her hair.
"I thought you said I couldn't take you home tonight." He paused between kisses, remembering some of her first words to him earlier as her hands trailed down his bare back.
"Yeah well, that was before. Besides, on a pool table in the middle of a bar isn't really taking me home now is it?" She smirked, biting her lip to keep the low moan from escaping as his hands went to the zipper on her dress.
"Fair enough." He started to lower her to the table when he heard a thunk and saw her wince.
"You okay there?" Her hand went up to rub the back of her head, embarrassment written across her face.
"Yeah, that light is just lower than I thought it was."
"Oh shit Charlie I'm so sorry." He started apologizing before noticing she was trying, but failing, to hold in a laugh. When a chuckle escaped her lips he couldn't help but laugh too. The laughter died down when he pulled her off the table and flush against him. Her eyes went dark and she licked her lips, excited and ready for whatever came next. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his went to her backside. She was sure he could feel her heart racing in her chest when she felt him pressing against her.
Needing to move things along, she kissed him hard, tongues dueling for dominance as he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, his hands supporting her. She felt her back hit the wall and it suddenly hit her that they were still in the bar.
"Hey Luis?" His mouth was leaving a trail of kisses down her neck, the questioning hmm resonating through her body making all her nerve endings tingle. "Think we can move this some place more private? My hotel isn't far from here."
Pausing, he leaned back and looked at her, a smile crossing his face. "That would take too long." She was about to protest when his mouth opened again. "I live upstairs." Her eyes lit up as she nodded her consent.
Expecting him to put her down and follow him, she let out a yelp as he pulled her higher up and held onto her tighter, carrying her upstairs as fast as he could. Looks like she wasn't the only one excited for tonight. He opened his door quickly and carried her straight into the bedroom.
"Well Charlie, looks like I got to take you home after all."
"Oh just shut up and kiss me Lui-" She was cut off by him granting her wish as his hand went to her zipper and finally freed her of her dress.
They lay next to each other on his bed, each panting heavily. Ellie didn't know what the proper protocol was now. Did she spend the night? Did she get up and pick up her clothes, leaving him and this night behind? Or did she wait until he was asleep and sneak out in the cloak of darkness. One-night stands were not her thing and now she knew why. Still wrapped up in her thoughts, she felt the bed dip next to her and looked over, seeing him propped up and staring at her. Self-conscious even after their prior activites, she pulled the sheet up higher and tried hard to keep his gaze.
"So Charlie I uh, I have a confession to make." She looked at him in shock, waiting for the bomb to drop that he was actually married. It would seem only fitting after the way her marriage ended that her one and only one-night stand would be with a married man. Why else would he look so nervous to confess something to her? "My name isn't actually Luis. It's Nick. Nick Torres."
"N-Nick?" He nodded, seemingly ashamed that he had lied to her. Maybe Alaina was right and it was in his nature. "That's your confession? You didn't tell me your real name?" He nodded again, ready to clear up any questions she had before she started laughing. Shocked at her reaction he sat up.
"What? What's so funny?" At his utterly confused look she laughed even harder, letting the sheet slip a little.
"I just, when you said you had a confession to make I thought you were gonna say you were married. This is so much better considering I didn't tell you my real name either." Stunned and relieved. Those were the only words that could be used to describe what he was feeling right now. When her laughter finally died down, she let out a sigh and sat up, explaining more. "My name's not Charlie, it's Ellie."
"Well Ellie, it is nice to meet you." He held out his hand and she clasped it, giving a firm shake.
"And it's nice to meet you too Nick." They both started laughing then at the reality of the situation. They had just had sex, multiple times in fact, but yet were really meeting each other for the first time as themselves. "So tell me Nick, why the sudden need to tell me your real name? I mean, I could've left here and gone back to DC never to see each other again. It would've been easy to just forget me."
"First of all Ellie," he enunciated her name and she found herself wanting to always hear her name coming from his lips. "There will be NO forgetting you." Her head hung at his words, a blush quickly taking over her skin. "Second of all, I don't want this to be just a one night thing."
"You, you don't?" Her tone was shy, one he hadn't heard from her yet tonight but he knew he wanted to hear it again, he could tell it was genuine.
"Hell no! You are amazing and I'd really like to see you more while you're still in town."
"Well, I suppose that could be arranged." The smile she sent his way was a mix between shy and sultry and he realized then that that was his favorite look on her. He was quickly proven wrong when she slid her leg over his and pressed a kiss to his lips, eyes dark and lust-filled. Turns out, that was his favorite look.
True to his word, they spent the entire week together while she was in town. Despite her protests that she'd never do it again so there was no reason to learn, Nick taught Ellie how to surf and she taught him that painting could actually be fun. They spent the time learning little things about one another but neither brought up their jobs, Ellie only mentioning she worked for the government in DC and Nick saying he was in law enforcement.
It was their last night together before Ellie went back to the East Coast. They spent most of the day in her hotel room, taking full advantage of the room service and king sized bed. After another round of passion, Nick lay there with his arm around Ellie tracing patterns on her shoulder while hers was laid across his stomach, hand moving over his muscles.
He had gotten word that morning while Ellie was still sleeping that, because of the mess with his last op, he was being transferred to a team in DC and he was nervous about telling her the news. The more time he spent with her this week the more he wanted it to last but he was unsure how she would take it. What if he was just a fling for her? A way to get over her ex? A vacation romance that would be forgotten about in a few weeks as she moved on with her life? He finally got the push he needed when her voice drifted to his ears.
"I can hear you thinking. What's wrong?" It was now or never. He took a deep breath before responding.
"I'm being transferred to DC." She was shocked but it was quickly replaced with a smile.
"Oh that's amazing! I mean, not that you have to move but that you're going to DC and we'd be closer together. Unless…" She trailed off, realizing that maybe he didn't want to be closer to her and that was the problem.
"Ellie, I'm excited about it. I mean, I'm not happy Vance is punishing me by sending me across the country but that means we get to be in the same city."
"Wait. Did you just say Vance? As in Leon Vance, Director of NCIS."
"Yeah…" He stretched out, looking at her in confusion. "How do you know him?"
"Nick, when I said I worked for the government I was only half telling the truth. I actually work for NCIS. I'm a Special Agent." His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open, not believing what he was hearing.
"No way, you're NCIS? I'm NCIS! I work for the office here in LA. Or at least, I did."
"What happened? Why is he transferring you?" Nick sighed.
"Long story short, I got in too deep and the op went wrong. Apparently Vance's favorite punishment is to send agents to work in the DC office where he can keep an eye on them."
"Yeah," Ellie chuckled, "that sounds like Vance." She got quite and nervous with her next question, this could make or break whatever they might have. "Do you uh, do you know what team you'll be placed on?"
"According to Hetty he wanted me on Agent Gibbs team but there was no room and turns out he's not too happy with agents joining his team so I'm on the 'next best' with Agent Carter." Ellie let out a huge sigh of relief at his words.
"Well, I can attest to that. I'm actually on Gibbs team and, while he doesn't like new agents he warms up quickly and once he does, you're family."
"Hmm. Sounds like a great dynamic."
"Yeah, it really is. But I'm selfishly glad you're not gonna be on Gibbs team."
"Oh yeah? And why's that?" He asked, pushing an errant strand of hair out of her face.
"Because, Gibbs has a rule about not dating coworkers and I'd hate for anything to ruin…" she trailed off, waiving a hand between them, "whatever this is."
"Then I'm glad too. Because this," he copied her movement, waving a hand between them before clasping her hand in his, "is too special and way too much fun to give up."
Not able to resist him for any longer, she pressed a kiss to his lips which quickly became heated as they got lost in each other again.
Turns out, drinking alone together with a stranger in a bar was the best decision they ever made.