Title: Kou Meets A Girl
Author: Tallia
Rating: PG13, for language
Summary: Poor, lonely Kou meets a girl...but she doesn't seem overly interested...
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just amusing myself with them.
*****
Kou leaned back in the decrepit chair in the bouncers' break room, and sighed, cradling his head in his hands. He waited for some kind of reaction, or at least some kind of acknowledgement, from the other two bouncers. Seeing that none was forthcoming, he sighed again, loudly and dramatically.
Sion, just coming off a shift, hid a grin and pretended to ignore Kou. Volt just did as he normally did, which was ignore Kou.
"Good shift?" Volt typically did not waste words.
"Yeah, good. No big problems. Your shift, Kou." Sion grabbed a beer out of the beat-up old fridge, and took a quick scan of its contents. "Ugh...that sandwich has been in here for a week, or more..."
"Not mine." Volt watched the hockey game on the small tv. "Kou, get off your ass."
Putting on a sad, "poor little ol' me" face, Kou sighed again, even more loudly and dramatically. Volt glared at him, at the end of his patience.
"What the hell is your problem?"
"Oh, I'm just a little depressed..."
"Too bad. Go to work." Volt turned away to watch the tv again, flashing a quick smirk at Sion, who grinned back. For someone with so much bouncy energy, Kou could be a real lazy ass sometimes.
Kou levered himself out of the chair, face glum. "Fine, fine. Don't even ask me WHY I'm depressed..."
"Ok. I won't."
Sion chuckled at Volt's curt response, then gave in. "Ok, Kou. Why are you depressed."
Another pitiful sigh. "I've been single for six months, as of today. I'm a lonely man, Sion."
"Oh, for..." Volt even chuckled, at that one. "Lonely, my ass. How often do you go home alone?"
"More often than you'd think." Checking his ultra-straight dark hair in the mirror, Kou straightened his clothes, then rejoined his friends in the break room. "And anyway...it's not sex that counts. That's just for fun. You know, recreation."
"So what is it that counts?" Sion was curious. Kou, while a nice guy, (if a little condescending and sarcastic at times), seemed a bit shallow to him, even a bit flighty. He couldn't picture Kou in any kind of serious relationship. No, actually...he couldn't picture any woman putting up with Kou long enough to be in any kind of serious relationship with him.
"Stupid question, Sion. Real stupid." Kou looked at his younger friend, sadly. "Love. Love is all that counts. Real, true love. You know, the soulmate kind of love." He ignored the snorts and guffaws coming from Volt. "The only kind that I'll settle for."
"Kou, get to work." Volt's command was surprisingly gentle. "And stop looking for love in a bar. That's your problem. You keep thinking lust is love."
"Well, it's a pretty good beginning, isn't it?" Kou disappeared down the stairs, his usual bounce not evident in his gait.
Sion crashed next to Volt, and quickly became absorbed in the game. "He'll get it someday."
Volt snorted derisively. "There's a lot of things he doesn't get. For such a smart guy, he's quite the dumbass sometimes."
***
Perhaps Kou's distraction was the reason that the fight was able to occur in the first place. For normally, on his shift, things went relatively smoothly. But he wasn't his normal self, and by the time he realized that there was trouble, punches had already been thrown.
Definitely off his judgement, he'd grabbed one guy from behind, to pull him out of the fray. The guy had ducked, resulting in Kou getting a good punch to the chin. It was a real good shot -- he was seeing stars -- and, uncharastically enough, he was seeing red. Winging off a good shot of his own, he didn't react quickly enough when his assailant ducked -- and delivered a hard punch to the face of the young woman behind him.
"Oh, shit!! I'm sorry --", he began, seeing blood erupt from her nose. Before he could finish, however, the two guys that had been fighting both jumped him, knocking him to the floor and pummeling him.
Suddenly Kou was able to breathe again, as Volt lifted both guys off Kou and literally tossed them out the door. Sion was checking on the injured young woman.
"Pretty bad, Leifoh." Volt's angry face was in his. "Fuck, you're really off tonight."
"I'm sorry," he began, his speech a little garbled from a rapidly-swelling lip. "Is that girl ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She turned to face him, holding a rapidly-reddening cloth to her nose. Her right eye was becoming puffy and discoloured. "I know it was an accident. Don't worry about it."
"Come on upstairs, Miss. We'll get you cleaned up. Sion, keep an eye out down here." Gently, Volt escorted her upstairs, taking her elbow. He used his other hand to drag Kou along by his vest.
Once upstairs, Volt helped the young woman wash her face, and got her a cold cloth with ice for her eye. She sat down, waiting, while Kou cleaned himself up.
"What the hell was that?" Volt spat at Kou. "Were you even awake down there? What?"
"Sorry." Kou's lip was definitely swollen, and his cheekbone was becoming puffy and purple. Hurt like hell, too. "I'm sorry."
"Go the hell home." Volt gestured towards the young woman. "Take her home, first. And apologize. Then go home. You're useless here." He turned away, angrily, but calmed himself when he reached the girl. "We're really sorry about what happened, Miss. I've arranged for a bar tab for you, for your next visit. May I have your name, please?"
"Keera Scott."
"Great, Keera. I'll take care of that right away. Do you have a car, or...?"
"I just live two blocks over. I'll walk home."
"Kou, here, will escort you home." He gestured at the pitiful-looking bouncer.
"Oh, thanks."
"No problem. I live nearby, too. It's the least I can do." Kou smiled at her. Behind her new bruises, she seemed attractive enough. Early twenties, he guessed, with dark hair cut into a pixie cut, and big blue eyes. She might have had a nice smile, but the side of her face was too puffy for him to tell. She was short, and curvy, but solid-looking, as well. Quite cute, he thought.
"Well, thanks. I know you didn't mean to hit me."
He rose, and held out his arm to her. "No, I didn't, and if you want, you can hit me back."
She laughed, and her eyes twinkled up at him. They made their way out the front door.
***
"So how long have you been a bouncer?" They were walking along a quiet side street, with a slightly chilly wind at their backs.
"Long enough, sweetie." Typically evasive, Kou smiled down at his companion. "And what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a writer."
"You are?" Kou was impressed. He'd also been a writer, once...but that was a long time ago, and a part of his past that he preferred to keep to himself.
"Romance novels."
"Oh, right." He snorted. "Boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married, have babies, stay in love..."
She laughed. "Yeah, that sort of thing."
"Be nice if it could really happen."
"Never been in love?" Her blue eyes regarded him quizzically, good-naturedly.
He seemed to withdraw into himself. "Next question."
Her smile faded. "Excuse me. I didn't mean to pry." She stopped. "This is it."
He looked up at a large, ornate, old-fashioned brick building. "Nice place."
"Thanks. Can I...uh, call you a cab, or something?"
"Sure."
"Ok! You're a cab!" Keera giggled up at him, and Kou couldn't help but laugh at the lame joke. The sudden tension between them dissipated, and he felt comfortable with her once again.
"Actually, don't worry about it...I'm just a block and a half away."
"Ok." She smiled, and looked up at him. "Well...thanks for the escort."
"Alright. Sorry again about..."
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it."
He paused for a moment. "Well...I guess I'll see you around?"
"Maybe, yeah."
"Don't forget your bar tab," he reminded her.
"Oh, yeah. I won't."
"Well." Kou seemed at a loss for words -- something that was rare, for him. "Well...uh...I...uh, I work tomorrow night...uh, maybe I'll see ya then?"
"I think I'll let these bruises heal first," she teased. Kou flushed at the comment.
"I said I was sorry!"
"I'm just teasing...I'll see you around, Kou."
He sighed, and watched as she nimbly hopped up the steps of her apartment building.
"Yeah...see ya."
She paused, to wave from the doorway, then disappeared inside.
Kou watched a moment longer, then, with a lonely sigh, turned and walked towards his own empty apartment.
*****
To be continued?
Like it? Love it? Hate it? Review it and let me know!! :-)
Author: Tallia
Rating: PG13, for language
Summary: Poor, lonely Kou meets a girl...but she doesn't seem overly interested...
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just amusing myself with them.
*****
Kou leaned back in the decrepit chair in the bouncers' break room, and sighed, cradling his head in his hands. He waited for some kind of reaction, or at least some kind of acknowledgement, from the other two bouncers. Seeing that none was forthcoming, he sighed again, loudly and dramatically.
Sion, just coming off a shift, hid a grin and pretended to ignore Kou. Volt just did as he normally did, which was ignore Kou.
"Good shift?" Volt typically did not waste words.
"Yeah, good. No big problems. Your shift, Kou." Sion grabbed a beer out of the beat-up old fridge, and took a quick scan of its contents. "Ugh...that sandwich has been in here for a week, or more..."
"Not mine." Volt watched the hockey game on the small tv. "Kou, get off your ass."
Putting on a sad, "poor little ol' me" face, Kou sighed again, even more loudly and dramatically. Volt glared at him, at the end of his patience.
"What the hell is your problem?"
"Oh, I'm just a little depressed..."
"Too bad. Go to work." Volt turned away to watch the tv again, flashing a quick smirk at Sion, who grinned back. For someone with so much bouncy energy, Kou could be a real lazy ass sometimes.
Kou levered himself out of the chair, face glum. "Fine, fine. Don't even ask me WHY I'm depressed..."
"Ok. I won't."
Sion chuckled at Volt's curt response, then gave in. "Ok, Kou. Why are you depressed."
Another pitiful sigh. "I've been single for six months, as of today. I'm a lonely man, Sion."
"Oh, for..." Volt even chuckled, at that one. "Lonely, my ass. How often do you go home alone?"
"More often than you'd think." Checking his ultra-straight dark hair in the mirror, Kou straightened his clothes, then rejoined his friends in the break room. "And anyway...it's not sex that counts. That's just for fun. You know, recreation."
"So what is it that counts?" Sion was curious. Kou, while a nice guy, (if a little condescending and sarcastic at times), seemed a bit shallow to him, even a bit flighty. He couldn't picture Kou in any kind of serious relationship. No, actually...he couldn't picture any woman putting up with Kou long enough to be in any kind of serious relationship with him.
"Stupid question, Sion. Real stupid." Kou looked at his younger friend, sadly. "Love. Love is all that counts. Real, true love. You know, the soulmate kind of love." He ignored the snorts and guffaws coming from Volt. "The only kind that I'll settle for."
"Kou, get to work." Volt's command was surprisingly gentle. "And stop looking for love in a bar. That's your problem. You keep thinking lust is love."
"Well, it's a pretty good beginning, isn't it?" Kou disappeared down the stairs, his usual bounce not evident in his gait.
Sion crashed next to Volt, and quickly became absorbed in the game. "He'll get it someday."
Volt snorted derisively. "There's a lot of things he doesn't get. For such a smart guy, he's quite the dumbass sometimes."
***
Perhaps Kou's distraction was the reason that the fight was able to occur in the first place. For normally, on his shift, things went relatively smoothly. But he wasn't his normal self, and by the time he realized that there was trouble, punches had already been thrown.
Definitely off his judgement, he'd grabbed one guy from behind, to pull him out of the fray. The guy had ducked, resulting in Kou getting a good punch to the chin. It was a real good shot -- he was seeing stars -- and, uncharastically enough, he was seeing red. Winging off a good shot of his own, he didn't react quickly enough when his assailant ducked -- and delivered a hard punch to the face of the young woman behind him.
"Oh, shit!! I'm sorry --", he began, seeing blood erupt from her nose. Before he could finish, however, the two guys that had been fighting both jumped him, knocking him to the floor and pummeling him.
Suddenly Kou was able to breathe again, as Volt lifted both guys off Kou and literally tossed them out the door. Sion was checking on the injured young woman.
"Pretty bad, Leifoh." Volt's angry face was in his. "Fuck, you're really off tonight."
"I'm sorry," he began, his speech a little garbled from a rapidly-swelling lip. "Is that girl ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She turned to face him, holding a rapidly-reddening cloth to her nose. Her right eye was becoming puffy and discoloured. "I know it was an accident. Don't worry about it."
"Come on upstairs, Miss. We'll get you cleaned up. Sion, keep an eye out down here." Gently, Volt escorted her upstairs, taking her elbow. He used his other hand to drag Kou along by his vest.
Once upstairs, Volt helped the young woman wash her face, and got her a cold cloth with ice for her eye. She sat down, waiting, while Kou cleaned himself up.
"What the hell was that?" Volt spat at Kou. "Were you even awake down there? What?"
"Sorry." Kou's lip was definitely swollen, and his cheekbone was becoming puffy and purple. Hurt like hell, too. "I'm sorry."
"Go the hell home." Volt gestured towards the young woman. "Take her home, first. And apologize. Then go home. You're useless here." He turned away, angrily, but calmed himself when he reached the girl. "We're really sorry about what happened, Miss. I've arranged for a bar tab for you, for your next visit. May I have your name, please?"
"Keera Scott."
"Great, Keera. I'll take care of that right away. Do you have a car, or...?"
"I just live two blocks over. I'll walk home."
"Kou, here, will escort you home." He gestured at the pitiful-looking bouncer.
"Oh, thanks."
"No problem. I live nearby, too. It's the least I can do." Kou smiled at her. Behind her new bruises, she seemed attractive enough. Early twenties, he guessed, with dark hair cut into a pixie cut, and big blue eyes. She might have had a nice smile, but the side of her face was too puffy for him to tell. She was short, and curvy, but solid-looking, as well. Quite cute, he thought.
"Well, thanks. I know you didn't mean to hit me."
He rose, and held out his arm to her. "No, I didn't, and if you want, you can hit me back."
She laughed, and her eyes twinkled up at him. They made their way out the front door.
***
"So how long have you been a bouncer?" They were walking along a quiet side street, with a slightly chilly wind at their backs.
"Long enough, sweetie." Typically evasive, Kou smiled down at his companion. "And what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a writer."
"You are?" Kou was impressed. He'd also been a writer, once...but that was a long time ago, and a part of his past that he preferred to keep to himself.
"Romance novels."
"Oh, right." He snorted. "Boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married, have babies, stay in love..."
She laughed. "Yeah, that sort of thing."
"Be nice if it could really happen."
"Never been in love?" Her blue eyes regarded him quizzically, good-naturedly.
He seemed to withdraw into himself. "Next question."
Her smile faded. "Excuse me. I didn't mean to pry." She stopped. "This is it."
He looked up at a large, ornate, old-fashioned brick building. "Nice place."
"Thanks. Can I...uh, call you a cab, or something?"
"Sure."
"Ok! You're a cab!" Keera giggled up at him, and Kou couldn't help but laugh at the lame joke. The sudden tension between them dissipated, and he felt comfortable with her once again.
"Actually, don't worry about it...I'm just a block and a half away."
"Ok." She smiled, and looked up at him. "Well...thanks for the escort."
"Alright. Sorry again about..."
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it."
He paused for a moment. "Well...I guess I'll see you around?"
"Maybe, yeah."
"Don't forget your bar tab," he reminded her.
"Oh, yeah. I won't."
"Well." Kou seemed at a loss for words -- something that was rare, for him. "Well...uh...I...uh, I work tomorrow night...uh, maybe I'll see ya then?"
"I think I'll let these bruises heal first," she teased. Kou flushed at the comment.
"I said I was sorry!"
"I'm just teasing...I'll see you around, Kou."
He sighed, and watched as she nimbly hopped up the steps of her apartment building.
"Yeah...see ya."
She paused, to wave from the doorway, then disappeared inside.
Kou watched a moment longer, then, with a lonely sigh, turned and walked towards his own empty apartment.
*****
To be continued?
Like it? Love it? Hate it? Review it and let me know!! :-)