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"One more please." Tharn nods to the bartender who knows his regular.
Once the good man smiles and nods at Tharn, confirming his order, he slides easily into the muffin top of the leather seat that would be right at his hip if he was standing.
He looks around the bar counter patrons while he waits. The people mill out at about his age, maybe a little younger. Still in college. He blends in with his white sweater but he didn't mean to.
The harsh blue neon hung up on the wall facing him made him almost glow in the dark. He looked at his arms. The contrasting red neon made them look darker by comparison.
He sees a ring of condensation left over by whoever was nursing his drink here last. Tharn looked around for a napkin. Liquid on wood could ruin the countertop unless someone cleaned it.
"Looking for anything?" A light voice from behind him asked.
Tharn sat up and turned. He smiled warmly as he recognized the face. Not because he knew her, but because he had seen her in the crowd while they'd been playing on stage earlier. At the very least she was a fan, he really appreciated his fans.
She was very beautiful. It made Tharn think what her parents might look like. What his own baby girl might look like when she was older. She would surely be at least as beautiful. Type was her mother anyway. Oh wait he has to speak.
"Uh yeah," Tharn chuckles at his own awkwardness. He gestures to the counter, "just a napkin."
She took the small napkin square from under her drink. "Let me help you with that, hon."
She smiled and slid into the seat next to his, cleaning the area.
"No, no." She shouldn't have to clean up a mess that wasn't hers just for him. Tharn carefully slipped the napkin from her grip and used it instead. "Here please, let me."
She blinked up at him and shrugged. Smiling as he took over. "If you insist." She chuckled.
He nodded. "Would it be weird to say that I do?"
"Not at all." She rests her forearms on the bar in front of her, watching Tharn. "It's...cute." She nodded to herself at her judgment, and took a sip of her clear liquid, iced beverage. "Gentlemanly, at least."
Tharn put the finished napkin aside. "Thanks," he smiled. "Sorry, I'm not some sort of neat freak or anything."
"No, no." She shook her head. "It's okay. You don't have to explain." She looked over her shoulder before looking back at Tharn. "So I saw you playing the drums earlier." She hints, having to scoot forward a bit so he could hear her more easily. "My brother's a drummer." She let him know. "I saw the brand name on your setup, he uses the same one, he says it breathes easier, but I don’t get what he’s saying. Do you get what he means?"
Tharn blinked. "Yes." He knew she wasn’t into drums like he was, but he was just excited that she even somewhat understood. "Yes I know exactly what he's talking about." He smiled. Maybe too excited. He couldn’t exactly talk drums to someone who wasn’t actually interested. "I would try to explain it to you, but it's actually pretty boring,” it wasn’t, “and would take too long anyway." It would.
"Well, you never know." She shrugged. "I could be into it?"
He shook his head. She would never fully understand. "Maybe another time."
"Sure." She nodded. "Yeah, another time. So what's your damage anyway?" She asked casually.
Okay what? Maybe he just didn't hear her? The music was pretty loud. The current song playing was a 'get up and dance' sort of song for sure. Loud base.
He leaned in. "What?"
The music around them surged again just when she opened her mouth to repeat herself. They both laughed and leaned in further.
She held his arm. She must've been too far off her seat. Tharn offered more of his arm to give her good balance. If she fell, Tharn would have to catch her. He couldn't let her fall, he just couldn't. And if he did catch her, Type would kill him, and her, so this was better in the long run for everybody.
"I said what's your band's name?" She repeated with a laugh.
"Oh," Okay yeah that made sense. Tharn took a breath and was yanked backwards by a random force.
"His band's name is 'get your hand off my husband, please'." Type smiled sweetly.
Tharn recovered from the tug and sat up, Type kept his hand on Tharn's shoulder as he stood glaring at the nice woman, standing in between them.
The woman's eyes widened ever so slightly. She hid her surprise well. She laughed nervously and bowed to Type, taking her hand off Tharn and sitting back.
"Ai'Type." Tharn whispered. He didn't have to be so harsh.
"Yes dear?" Type turned to Tharn, blank expression.
Fuck. He was in trouble. Tharn smiled and shook his head. Better not to protest. "Nothing. It's okay. I was just waiting for my drink, this is, uh, I'm sorry I didn't get your name?"
Tharn gave the conversation to her, for her to introduce herself. "No, no." She smiled tightly. "Excuse me. I was just leaving."
She quickly got her drink, bowed to them, and left. Type moved to stand beside her empty seat. He couldn't get up without Tharn's help and Tharn had a feeling he wasn't allowed to help right now.
Type crossed his arms and quirked an unimpressed brow. "That was, what like five minutes? I must congratulate you, sir. You're really amazing." Type rolled his eyes.
Tharn slumped and sighed, grabbing Type's crossed forearms. "Oy Type. We were just talking. She wasn't doing anything."
"She was all over you." Type remarked.
Tharn moved his foot from the footrest under his seat, to the one under the seat Type was leaning against, grazing their legs as he moved, and trapping Type between the bar and his leg so Type couldn't move away.
"She wasn't." Tharn shook his head. "I couldn't hear her over the music so she--"
"Then you just gave her the chance!" Type had to shout, again over the music, but he also didn't mind using the outlet. "You just throw yourself at these beautiful women and I'm supposed to sit back and watch while our fucking friends have to tell me to 'watch out' while I drink water at a table in a packed bar, pregnant as all get out, until I finally look over see this thin twig dress try to steal you away from me with her smiles? And you're letting her? Fuck you!"
"Type, baby," Tharn smiled and pulled him close, Type went willingly, much to Tharn's surprise. "I throw myself at one person only." He sighed giving a soft kiss to Type's temple. "You know that." Tharn leaned in making sure Type could hear him as he whispered. "Don't you remember, baby? There is no other option. It's you, Type. It'll always be you."
Type didn't look him in the eye. "You could make more of an effort to push these girls away, you know."
"I promise I won't let it happen again." Tharn said, kissing Type's cheek.
Type pushed him off. They were in public after all. "Yeah fucking right." He scoffed. "Where's your drink anyway?" They both looked to the bar to find Tharn's beer waiting for them. "What the hell? Who doesn't put a napkin under a drink? It's gonna ruin the fucking wood."
Tharn blinked at Type in surprise.
Yes, exactly.
Tharn smiled to himself. Why was Type so absolutely perfect? He wasn’t even trying to be. It was so amazingly unfair. It drove him insane sometimes.
"Ai'Type." Tharn called, while Type was trying to lean over the bar to wave the bartender down for a napkin.
Type turned back to him. "What--"
Tharn didn't give him the chance to ask anything else before he sealed their lips together in a sweet kiss.
Type tensed against him at first in surprise, then he couldn't help but relax into Tharn. The way he always pulled him open body and soul, slowly, passionately, couldn't be resisted. Type gave Tharn the kiss. He could always give in to Tharn. He was safe with Tharn.
Tharn smiled and leaned back looking at his beautiful wife fondly. Tharn's hand went into Type's dark hair. He pulled him in and gave another kiss to his temple.
"You're so…" Tharn couldn't say. Everything. He was so everything. "Perfect for me." He finished. "My lovely wife."
The red neon melted across Type's skin blending in pink hues while the blues darkened his hair into a raven black.
Type faced away from Tharn with a rare expression on his face, saying nothing. Tharn smiled widely anyway as he only looked at Type. He knew that expression. It was the way Type looked when he was pleased, but was too embarrassed to say so.
He'd purse his lips very slightly, fighting a smile, and the fire in his eyes would change, not weaken, but soften. His brows would relax and he'd slowly, minutely, jut out his chin, looking away from Tharn as he did so. It was a very adorable expression and it always made Tharn happy.
Tharn didn't say anything as he pulled Type close and wrapped his arms around his waist.
Eventually Type flagged that bartender down and they went and returned to their table to let their friends know they were heading home.
"Hold on, wait, you're heading home?" Techno questioned from across the table. "Right now?"
Tharn nodded. "Yeah sorry guys, but I think it's time we head in."
"Before your wife calls you out for your shit, you mean." Champ piped up and the other's joined in laughing.
All except for No. He was thinking about something, it seemed.
"Alright, alright shut up!" Type quieted the table. "Bunch of assholes."
Tharn moved to grab his and Type's jackets from their seats. "You guys have fun. We're leaving first."
There was a concurrence of all different sizes of goodbyes. Some were slurry, some were expectant, some disinterested, but there was one that was absent. Techno's.
Tharn helped Type into his jacket and draped his over his shoulder, waving one last time to the guys, before Techno shot up.
"Wait!" He ran over to them, gathering his things quickly. "I'll go with you."
"What?" Tharn questioned.
"Why?" Type looked to Tharn, but he didn't have the answers.
Neither of them were against the idea. It was just sudden.
Techno shrugged as his only response. "Tharn's driving?"
Tharn nodded. "Yeah. We brought my car."
"That won't do." Techno swipes the keys. "I'll drive."
"What why?" Tharn and Type had no choice but to follow him as he led them both out.
"You've been drinking." He said simply. "You've gotta think of the baby Tharn." He tsked.
Tharn laughed. "Ai'No I've had like three beers."
"So irresponsible." Techno sighed, and Tharn was about to make a comment about Techno’s own drinking, but No opened the door a little too fast, accidentally hitting a man who was standing just outside.
The man and his partner shouted back in surprise.
"Hey, hey!" Tharn tried to catch the door but it was too late. He smiled remorsefully to the couple. "My apologies, my friend didn't see you."
"Yeah?" The guy seemed pissed. His partner held his arm back as he yelled. His hand was holding a bottle of some kind of scotch or whiskey, but it wasn't full. "Well tell your friend to watch it next time!"
"Sorry!" Techno bowed.
"We're very sorry sir," Tharn apologized again as he moved the other two along, "have a nice night."
The guy waved him off as his partner pulled him away.
"Nice going, idiot." Type smirked.
“Sorry! I didn’t see him.” Techno hissed, embarrassed. “Where’d you guys park anyway?” He grumbled, eager to change the topic.
Tharn pointed across the lot, the two spaces next to their car were pleasantly empty, so it was easy to see. “Right over there.”
As the three walked over to the Audi, Type asked. “Wait a minute No, where’s your car?”
No chuckled nervously clicking the unlock button as they approached, “I took a cab, why?”
“That’s why you’re coming with us isn’t it? Why would you take a cab if you have a perfectly good car? You’re offering to drive us on purpose.” Type questioned. “You’re still trying to get me to forgive you.”
“Well it would be nice if my best friend wasn’t trying to kill me every second of the day!” Techno shouted.
Type smirked and opened the passenger door, “Wouldn’t know.” He shrugged.
Techno looked comically accosted as he opened the driver side door. If he had a necklace of pearls to clutch in shock, he would have.
Tharn stopped Type just as he was about to duck into the seat. “Hold on, you can’t sit passenger, that means I take the back.”
Type paused.
He stood up and looked back at Tharn. “And?”
“And you should sit in the back.” Tharn reasoned. “It’s safer.” Type scoffed. “I’m serious, Type.”
Techno leaned over, after he revved the engine, to talk to the two of them. “Neither of you sit passenger. Get in the back.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
They both looked at him.
“What, so you’re our chauffeur?” Type questioned.
Techno shrugged. “If it helps me win points, and stops your stupid, adorable couples fights, then yeah.”
Tharn looked to Type and shrugged. He could deal with that. Type rolled his eyes and shut the door, “Fine. Whatever.”
Tharn helped Type slide into the seat. Type, in turn, scooted over to make room for Tharn to follow him in, but just as Tharn was about to duck in, he heard some pretty vicious shouting coming from behind them. It was progressing rapidly, turning from loud shouts to even louder screams. A heated fight it seemed.
He hesitated getting in and looked around the lot.
The couple from earlier, that Techno had accidentally startled with the door, were fighting with each other very loudly and they were sort of moving over in their direction as they went along.
“Hey!” Techno shouted as the man threw his bottle of liquor at the woman he was shouting with.
The bottle was meant for her, but the man was so drunkenly inhibreated that he missed terribly and almost hit the car on the drivers side. Techno killed the engine and got out of the car.
“What the hell is going on?” Type questioned looking out at the fighting couple.
They were still moving closer.
“Techno.” Tharn said very seriously. No turned to Tharn. “Lock the car.” He shut Type’s door. Techno instantly pulled out the keys and locked the car. “Keys.” Techno tossed them over. Tharn caught them and pocketed them. “Stay with Type.”
Techno moved back to the rear passenger doors where Type was, on the other side of the fighting couple. Tharn was the closest to the shouts. They seemed to try to be moving to the car that was two spaces down from them.
“Ai’shit Tharn!” Type shouted as Tharn took a step towards them. “What the hell do you think you’re--!” Type tried to open the door from the inside, but it wouldn’t budge.
He suddenly remembered something very important. Type wanted to break the fucking window. Stupid fucking child lock was on. Type couldn’t get to the controls in the front. Not like this. Tharn trapped him inside on purpose.
Type began viciously pounding on the door and the window. “YOU PIECE OF SHIT THARN! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!”
Tharn heard him but ignored him. This young lady in front of him was in danger. The man was dragging her to his car as she screamed and shouted for him to let her go.
Tharn wasn’t a confrontational guy, but desperate times right?
“Sir!” Tharn approached carefully. They both stopped for a second. “I’m going to have to ask you to let this woman go.”
The woman in question stopped screaming but continued to struggle while the man glared bloody murder at Tharn.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” The man spit as he spoke. His words were slurring together. The man threw the woman to the ground between them. “You want her?!”
She screamed but only in fear, Tharn jerked forward trying to catch her fall, but also stayed back not wanting to get too close.
The woman scrambled over to Tharn. He helped her up.
“Fucking take her!” The man screamed. “That fucking whore ‘ll probably be worth more to you than me!”
Tharn gritted his teeth, he hated men who were like this. He held her weight as she leaned heavily on him, and looked back. Techno was now on this side of the car, Type was staring wide eyed at the confrontation from the back seat, but he was frozen still.
“Ai’No!” Tharn called over.
No ran over to them and held the girl, walking her carefully out of there. Hopefully inside to get some real help.
Tharn turned back to the guy. It was just them.
Tharn held his hands up defensively. “Sir,” Tharn swallowed, “I think that’s enough for tonight, please call a friend or a service to pick you up. Let’s all walk away, okay?”
This only seemed to flare the guy up more. He stumbled forward just a little.
“What-- you think you can, can tell me what the hell to do? Who the fuck are you?!” He stumbled some more towards Tharn but Tharn took wide steps back.
“I’m no one. I’m no one.” Tharn insisted.
He looked back and realized they were way closer to Type than he was comfortable with. He changed directions, side-stepping, hoping the guy would take his lead. He seemed to, sloppily, but he still seemed to.
“Acting like a fucking hero for no goddamn reason.” The guy criticized. He stumbled closer to Tharn.
Tharn backed up, but his heel hit something solid before he got too far. He looked back quickly. The wall of the other building, he was pinned, going one way would lead the man to Type, and going the other would be going right to him.
Tharn heard Type’s banging start up again. “THARN!” Type tried his fucking hardest to open that door, he honestly didn’t give a shit if he broke the door, he had to do something.
The guy looked over to Type. “That your fucking bitch?”
Tharn saw absolute red. He clenched his jaw and curled his fists so hard he thought he was gonna burst. Tharn didn’t say anything, however, no matter what he could say it would just put Type in danger.
The guy almost grinned at Tharn’s reaction, but he was so drunk it just looked like an empty, open-mouthed, exhale. “Looks pretty. Maybe I'll go get myself a taste, huh?” He chuckled.
That put Tharn to action. Before the man could even move, Tharn shot forward. He punched the asshole across the jaw, which swayed him greatly, pushing him a good few steps back, but drunk or not, he recovered pretty fast.
Now he was pissed and provoked.
He launched for Tharn, swinging sloppily to get him back. Tharn avoided the punches and didn’t swing back, only blocked and dodged. The man, getting frustrated with not being able to hit Tharn, growled out and reared back. He ran into Tharn and used enough momentum to knock them both to the ground, Tharn hitting the pavement first.
Tharn coughed roughly from the impact but didn’t have a chance to breathe in when a punch crossed his cheek. He was barely blinking to recover as another one hit, the other direction. He grunted, spitting out the taste of copper and flipped them over easily, giving back twice as much, once to the eye and lip. Two across both cheeks.
“Tharn!” That wasn’t Type.
Tharn blocked the guy's relays and hit him in the chest with both fists in a downswing.
“Ai’Tharn!” That was coming from right behind him.
The chest shot helped to stutter the guys movements as he coughed to recover. Tharn went for another blow to the jaw. How dare he threaten Type. Another to his cheek, that one was gonna cut, he was wearing more than just his thumb ring, after all.
“Ai’Tharn!”
Tharn suddenly felt arms and hands pull him up roughly. He fought the intrusion with wild movements, pulling and kicking as he was dragged away from the drunk. It took him a second to register the guys. His friends. They were his friends. They were all out here. All with worried and shell shocked expressions crossing their faces.
They helped Tharn up. He rubbed his jaw and spit out more blood, glaring at the man who was bleeding out on the ground in front of them.
The boys looked back from Tharn, to the guy, back to Tharn.
“H-holy shit.” Tum whispered. As someone who has confronted Tharn in the past with fists, seeing Tharn actually fight back was absolutely jarring. Nothing provoked Tharn to this magnitude, not that he knew. Even though Tum had been the one in the wrong, Tharn never fought back, he barely even spoke during those times. If this was what he was holding back, Tum was exceedingly apologetic and grateful towards Tharn. “I- I- the cops.” He had no words. As he looked up at Tharn, he felt like he was seeing just how tall and strong he was for the first time.
Techno filled Tharn in. “We called the cops, they’re on their way.”
Tharn’s eyes snapped to his car. “Ai’Type!”
He ran over to the door and threw it open.
“You fucking piece of shit!” Type slapped Tharn as soon as the door was open. His eyes, his cheeks were washed of fresh tears.
Tharn exhaled in great relief and hugged him tightly.
Type wrapped his arms around him, held him like he was dying. Type buried his hand in his hair, the other clutched his shirt so hard, he thought he was ripping the fabric, but he didn’t care. Type hid his face in the crook of Tharn’s neck as he let his worry and fear wash over him again. It was over. It was over. It was over.
Tharn pet Type’s hair, neck, back as he rocked him gently, soothing those shaking shoulders. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He was crying too, but not nearly as hard as Type. Type was shaking the both of them.
“You- you made me watch! You made me watch!” Type coughed as he choked on his words. “I hate you! I hate you, I hate you!” He cried.
He tried to hit Tharn, but he was so drained he didn’t have the strength.
Tharn nodded as much as he could. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, baby. I know.”
“You fucking asshole! I was so s-scared!” Type shrieked. "How-- how could you?! You m-- made me watch!" He was crying so hard he could barely speak.
Tharn squeezed Type tighter, held him closer. “Shh, baby. I know. It’s all over now, I promise.” His voice was shaking as he soothed Type. He took a breath. “It’s all over. It’s over now.”
Type coughed again. It took a lot of concentration, but he swallowed to clear his throat. Tharn held him for a long time, long enough to still the tremors in Type's shoulders. Long enough to stiffen his muscles for when he finally did move. He comforted Type as long as he could, but they had to go. Like Techno said, the cops were coming.
Tharn cleaned himself up and went to Techno, he knew he probably looked like shit. He didn’t care. He had his excuses. “We’re gonna go now okay? Are you still driving?”
Techno shook his head. “You guys go.” He insisted. “I’ll get a ride with Seo or someone.”
Tharn nodded. Grateful for the thought. “Hey what happened to that girl? Where did you go?”
“We went in and I found the guys.” Techno explained. “I told them what was going on and we got her in a cab home. When that was taken care of, we went back to find you.”
Tharn nodded again. “Thank you Techno.” He smiled as much as he could. “You really helped.”
Techno shook his head. “No, I didn’t do anything.” He smiled back. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more.”
“Well,” Tharn sighed maybe he would never convince Techno of the help he really was, he was sure Type forgave him now though, “thank you all the same.”
“Yeah.” He gave a nod. “Anytime. Now get out of here. Get home. We’ll talk later.”
Tharn walked back with waves to the guys. “I’m leaving first.” He announced.
He got a much more rousing chorus of goodbyes this time around. With some well wishes of safety added too.
And with their blessings, Tharn moved Type from the back, to the front passenger seat and drove them home.
///
“Are you okay?” Tharn asked quietly.
The hall lights were on, but the family room itself was dark. Just enough for Tharn and Type to see each other.
“Ai’shit Tharn.” Type scolded instantly. “I’m not the idiot who was just in a fight, in a fucking parking lot.”
Type looked at Tharn. His hand gently grazed the bruises that were already starting to bloom. They’d already taken care of the cuts as much as they could, and all cleaned up, he didn’t look very rough around the edges, comparatively.
“It doesn’t hurt too bad.” Tharn confirmed his thoughts.
“Shut up.” Type snapped. “It should. You fucking deserve it.” Tharn smiled, though his face was sore enough that it hurt to do so. “I can’t believe you locked me in the car like a fucking dog.”
“Sorry.” Tharn apologized as if he was sorry at all. “I’m just glad you were safe.” Tharn sighed. He brushed Type’s bangs back. “That asshole wasn’t going to touch you.” Tharn whispered. “Not a perfect hair on your head.”
Type huffed a laugh. Asshole, huh? So Tharn was still mad.
He didn’t fight it as Tharn leaned over and left a lingering kiss in his hair.
“I know.” Type nodded when Tharn leaned back. He rested his hands over the bump. “Now apologize to baby for scaring the ever loving fuck out of both of us.”
Tharn kissed Type on the cheek and complied, bending down to kiss the bump. “I’m sorry baby girl, I had to protect you and mommy.” He rested his hand over Type’s. “I will always protect you baby.” He kissed the bump again. “I promise.”
Type let Tharn apologize properly for a moment before he felt the kiss again. He pulled him up. “Okay, okay, okay.” He smiled despite how shaken he still was. “Get over here. You’re not done apologizing to me.”
“Oh?” Tharn questioned as he righted himself. “How do I apologize?”
Type sighed and closed the distance between them by sliding next to him. Tharn lifted his arm, letting Type settle into him before he draped that arm over him, pulling him in close.
It would be later, much later, when Type finally feels calm enough to warrant maybe a considering thought towards any sort of rest, that he would consent to leaving the family room. He would rely on Tharn, more heavily than normal, but not on purpose, to guide him up the stairs.
Tharn would walk them to their nursery where they would dote on the baby as they did every night. Type would fall asleep in the rocking chair, only to be gently awoken by Tharn a few minutes later so they could go to bed together.
Tharn would hold Type against him at night, while they were tucked snugly into each other under their large warm blankets, against soft pillows that sank with lulling rest.
Tharn would lean in and take a deep breath of Type, sighing in content at how perfect his life was.
How perfect indeed, and he would do anything to keep it safe.