Chapter Text
When your shift ended you headed straight for the bar. You were exhausted. You didn’t usually go out drinking, but you needed to feel numb for a little while. Even if you were gonna feel shitty tomorrow morning. You didn’t have work tomorrow anyway.
You pushed open the doors to the bar, the air was stale and smelt of alcohol. The music and the voices of the Friday night crowd blurred into white noise as you took an uncomfortable seat at the bar away from the other patrons. You weren’t looking for a sociable buzz, you kind of wanted to try and get shit faced. Do something you’ll regret. That sort of thing.
The bartender came over to you, and after looking at your ID asked what you wanted. You didn’t know alcohol and hesitated.
“A shot of something pretty strong?” You asked meekly. The bartender gave you a knowing look.
“Bad day at work?” They asked.
“Try a bad week.” You mumbled. They nodded and went off to get you your drink. They came back and set a shot of a brownish liquid in front of you. You nodded your head at them and raised your glass in a cheers sort of way before knocking back the drink. You scrunched your face up at the burn, coughing.
“Can I get like two more of these?” You asked. The drink was already starting to warm you up, and fog the corners of your thinking. Soon two more became three and after four it became a blur. You sloppily pushed some bills into the bartender’s hands and got up. The crowd in the background was a jumble of noise, and the bartender’s “Ya got anyone coming for ya?” faded into it.
You pushed out into the cold, stumbling and humming. Your thoughts were jumbled, eyes unfocused, body much too warm. You scrunched your nose at the thought of going home just yet. You wrangled off your jacket, now just in your work shirt. Stupid job. Stupid bills. Stupid you.
As you watched the city flicker and cars pass by you found yourself giggling, you couldn’t even remember what you were upset about.
You blearily looked around you, seeing the little park that was near your house. Your face lit up. Yes, that was where you were going all along.
You cross the road without looking around and faintly register honking. Whatever. You were gonna swing on those swings.
Turns out the swings aren’t working. You couldn’t sit down on them, they kept moving around. It wasn’t like you even wanted to swing anyway. But you did know what you wanted to do, you were gonna do the monkey bars. You rocked at those.
You couldn’t seem to grab them though, they also kept moving around. What the hell was wrong with this park anyway? You somehow ended up lying in the grass next the park, with wood chips in your hair and your jacket somewhere over by the swings. The stars were a blur of lights. You reached up to touch them, to feel their warmth. But you couldn’t. Like you couldn’t do anything else.
This, this is why your old friends didn’t bother to talk to you anymore. You were just a fuck-up anyway. You were crying now, the heat from the drinks gone, your thoughts still frustratingly jumbled and your loneliness hitting you tenfold.
That’s when you heard it faintly in the distance. The melody so familiar, but in your mind trying to place like it was trying to grab a wet fish with lotion-y hands. You giggled at the metaphor and pushed yourself into a standing position. You stumbled towards the music, walking into the road. You strained your ears to hear the lyrics better. ‘Feeling… hmmhmm… sunshine… hmmhmmhmm… the future is coming on’
“I know that ssooong!! Clint what- uh- Eastwood! Yup.” You laughed. You loved that song. You saw something in the distance. Headlights? The song was getting louder too! Suddenly the blaring of a horn and tires screeching was drowning out the song. You jumped at the sound, how rude!
A car skidded to a stop a few feet ahead of you, the music was coming from the car. You stumbled towards the car. Putting your hands on the the warm hood.
“I-I-I LOVE that soooooong!” You shouted over the music, big dopey grin on your face. These people had a good taste in music. The hood was so warm you just had to put your cheek against it. This was like a great big warm hug.
God you were pathetic.
You sunk to your knees ignoring the car doors opening and cried against the hood. Why were you always so pathetic and overemotional and lonely and dumb and caring and sad? Maybe it was your fault nobody likes you? What if you were weird or ugly or unlikable or clingy or or or-
There was a man standing in front of you. He was so tall you had to crane your head back to see his shadowed face.
"Am-am I weird?” You asked this stranger sniffling. They would tell you. You turned around and leaned back against the front of the car as it rumbled like a big cat. Your roommates would never let you have a pet. Or the landlord... It doesn't matter. There were more people standing around you now. They were blurry and you were tired and that guy never answered your question so it must be true. You were crying again as they talked among themselves.
After a moment someone nudged your shoe and you looked up.
“W-what?” You questioned, half-heartedly wiping your face against your shirt, effectively flashing everyone there with your bra. A raspy voice started.
“Uh, wha-what’s ya name, luv?” The tall guys asks. You tell him. Another voice soon interjects.
“Where in the dickens do you live, huh?” This voice is nasally and weird, but distinctly British like the other. Why were their voices so familiar? You looked around for landmarks. But it was too dark. How were you supposed to know that?
“I-I dunno! Where, uh, where do you live?” You ask pointedly. If he was gonna ask the question he should be able to answer it. Finally the big guy sighed.
“Do ya have a phone I could borrow?” He asked, his voice was deep and slightly american. You patted yourself down, looking for your phone. Shitshitshitshitshit! Where was your phone?
“My jacket!” You shouted looking around yourself. It was in your jacket pocket.
“Ohnoooooh-fuuuuuuuuuck.” You groaned. You lost your phone.
“Should we phone the police?” The tall guy asked, probably the police would find your phone. The other guys started talking again when you noticed a slightly smaller person hanging off to the side.
“Hi.” You said to them.
“Hi.” They said back. You were uncomfortable laying against the car so you opted to lay fully on the pavement. You closed your eyes. Time for bed. You started dozing off when you felt everything shift. You cracked your eyes open and see Mr. american man picking you up. You clutched onto his shirt and buried your face into his shoulder. You lightly fell back asleep as he carried you into the car. The music around you fading away as you cuddled into his side after being buckled in. You registered to car moving before you passed out fully.