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You’ve spotted the man the moment he walked into the crowded room. Or more likely your coworker, Anko, spotted the woman near him. Tall, blonde, and all dolled-up. The well-known frequent flyer of this little bar, the one who every time brought here men, to never come back with the same one.
But today she wasn't looking like a happy woman. She looked more like an animal trapped in the cage rather than the proud femme fatale that she usually played here.
You couldn't see fully the man who stood next to her. Dark hair, tall, slightly uneven figure.
It was late already, 9 pm. She was in a dress so short that if she’d bend over everyone could see what’s underneath, high heels wildly red, matched to her bag and lipstick. He on the other hand was dressed more… Casually. Dark jeans, black jacket, some patterned, yet toned shirt.
A date. Poor man.
“Another one bites the dust.” Anko snarled, looking at the pair.
“You think? Look at her. It's the first time I see her that displeased.”
“That would be a new one. Fucking finally.” You both giggled, as she leaned over the counter, waiting for you to finally mix the drink “Better hurry or the mister-too-tight-pants will be unhappy again.” She rolled her eyes, and with a head gesture pointed to the old wrinkled man sitting at one of the tables. You laughed, pouring some alcohol into the tall glass and mixing it with syrup and fruit purée.
As they sat at one of the tables near the bar, you finally had a chance to take a glance at the cause of the woman's displeasure. The first thing you noticed was the nervous and shy smile crooking his lips into a slight arch. Dark eyes followed with nervousness, yet some little playful spark flickered in them every time he laughed a bit louder.
But the thing that attracted attention the most was the whole right side of his countenance.
Or rather the tremendous scar covering most of the half of his face, surely at least the side of his neck, and even in the light of bar lamps, you could tell that they weren’t the shallow and little ones. For sure he wasn’t a typical target that the blonde woman would pick to have fun with and sweet-talk into meaningless few days of faked relationships, until she wasn’t bored or she’d find a new one, looking better than the previous. No, he wasn’t like all the men she used to bring here. And she wasn’t pleased. She wasn’t even making an effort to not look bored. He on the other hand put in a lot of effort. A bit too much even.
Hmm… A blind date? Oh, poor, poor man...
Fingers dug on your side, just under the rib “Stop looking at them like that! Somebody would think that you’re in love (Y/n)! Or jealous!” Anko snickered, winking to you “Give me a second and I’ll tell you what I can get.” She waved to the other waitress that was about to take their order.
After a short while, the woman came back with a few different emotions painted on her face. Amazement, repugnance, solicitude, sadness, exasperation. The clearest that you could pick up.
“So… What should I get them?”
“Well, for her and I quote “martini or something prettier”. I would think that some cheesy conversation-something, whatever her bird brain would spit out, but the way she looked at him saying that...”
“That’s harsh, even for her. Why did she even come with him?”
“I have no idea, honestly. Clearly not the kind of prey. Guess the miss will walk home alone.” Her eyes opened wider like she just reminded her of something very important “And this scar of his is so huge… You should see it up close!”
“Shut up!” You scowled at her, fearing that she said it a bit too loud. She giggled with a blush, covering her mouth “What did he order?”
“Whisky no ice.”
“Mmm, classic.”
“I know. And better hurry, sitting with this monster all sober won't do any good for him. Better be drunk when she devours you and spits your bones out...” Without a word more, you poured the drinks and handed them to the other woman.
***
The evening went quickly forward. Between gossiping with Anko, cleaning the bar from whatever was spilled or scattered on it, serving drinks and snacks to other already tipsy clients, and chasing away the lone underages that tend to appear, you’ve found a new thing: watching the couple from hell.
At first, the man was talkative. He gestured a lot, his smile and eagerness seemed to be undefeatable, he really put a lot of effort to make her at least smile. Or talk. Or… Anything.
But she only sat there, sipping her drink while watching everyone around paying almost no attention to the man’s actions, throwing a casual look at him accompanied with shrugs of her shapely arms and wave of hand adorned by clinking shiny bracelets.
So, as the evening followed, the scarred man became more silent, his eyes dimmed, his posture grew smaller and crumpled.
All of a sudden the blonde stood up, threw a few, not necessarily nice and respectful judging by her body language, words in his direction, and with an angered frown she quickly left, leaving him all by himself.
“I feel bad for the guy… Really, he seems nice. Not a one-time-adventure nice. More like I-really-want-to-spend-more-time-with-you nice, you know?”
“Yeah, he seems like a decent man. But that...” She waved her hand on half of her face, not wanting to say it out loud.
“I’m not bothered, you know? He is still kinda cute, and despite that, it’s somehow hm... Alluring.”
“Ha! He caught your eye, didn’t he? Oh yes, he did! Good, good. It’s been a while since you’ve been hooked on someone.” She clapped her hands a few times, wiggling on her legs “But lucky for you, he is not my type. He’s all yours.”
“Oh right, thank you. And what is your type? Not minding you’re so shitfaced you can’t stand, but you’re still doable?”
“You’re a mean ass, ma’am.”
“Well thank you, m’lady.” You bowed with less grace than you expected from yourself, making your coworker and the bunch of people sitting at the counter chuckle. You smiled at everyone, trying to hide your blankness under it.
You couldn’t take your eyes off him. Something in his posture, in his gestures, eyes made you fascinated. He seemed honest, and despite his look somehow confident, and… He really was a cute one. But that was some time ago. Now, he remained without any motion, face hidden in his hands. There was not much you could do to this stranger.
Well, there was one thing you could do. Same thing as other men and women did here when they wanted to take a break from the problems, at least for a short while. You took another glass from the drying rack and poured some more amber-colored liquid and handed it over to your friend “Can you bring it to him?”
“Oh sure. I will.” She winked at you and moved in his direction before you could realize that you probably should ask her to NOT say from who this drink is.
And you did realize it, a bit too late. Too damn late. Right in the moment when Anko’s finger pointed at you, and the stranger’s eyes fixed on your figure, with a mixture of astonishment and bewilderment. He asked the waitress something, and she eagerly nodded, with a bigger and bigger smile growing on her.
Your face and ears burned, your stomach curled, cold sweat ran down your spine. Anko only flitted near you mumbling to your ear “You’ll thank me later.”. The stranger moved towards you slowly, with hints of insecurity and disbelief. He reached the counters, with a creak he pulled a stool under him, making himself more comfortable.
He cleared his throat to finally speak after a while, breaking the silence between you. His voice was low, slightly hoarse but there was something in it, that make you pleasantly shiver. “So… Ugh, I guess I owe you one.”
“Owe? Nah,” only now you could see his features closely, the scars were deeper, sharper, intimidating but somehow you found them fascinating. What happened to leave such marks? What did this man have to suffer? You blinked a few times, realizing that your moment of staring took longer than it should “it’s uh, it’s on the house.”
“On the house? That would mean that your friend over there lied to me, saying that it’s from you. So, is it on the house or is it from you? ”
“Does it matter?”
“For me, at least, yes.”
“Looks like I have a traitor for a friend,” you smiled at him, returning to your chores wiping dry some mugs and glasses “but fine. Yes, it is from me.”
He smiled. A nice warm and spontaneous smile. “Then there is nothing else left but to thank you. To the stranger behind the bar, who pour the good stuff.” He raised the round glass, without taking his eyes from you he emptied it with one move and a visible shiver hit his body. The glass rattled on the table when he pushed it towards you. “So tell me, are you allowed to drink with your customers?”
“Sometimes. Usually, by the end of the work, we pour ourselves a pint or something stronger, whatever suits us.”
“When does your shift end? If I may ask, of course.”
You looked around. The room wasn’t getting emptier, even if midnight was closer. Closing time for you was still far away. “Not soon, for sure. Four hours? Maybe more, since we do have a 'to the last customer' policy.”
“That’s ugh… That can be problematic.”
“For who?”
“For me. You need to stop giving me the good stuff or else I’ll just sleep somewhere in the corner. That one over there looks cozy though.” He busted in a deep throaty laugh pointing to the shady corner with an old couch, but it was cut quickly by two glasses knocking on the table.
Anko with all innocence she could gather looked at you, but you knew the mischievous spark, corner of her lips ticking with playfulness “You didn’t hear? Boss switched our shifts. You’re free to go in like ten minutes.”
“Anko…”
“Enjoy your drink.” She said, more to the man than to you. “By the way, she lives quite far from here, and I’m sure she’d appreciate it if someone would walk with her. It’s late, and it’s inappropriate to leave the lady like that.”
“Well, now I feel obliged to do it.” He grabbed his drink with his right hand, and only now you’ve noticed the leather glove on his palm, and in pair with a long-sleeve shirt, it covered his skin tightly. “I only hope that the lady here won’t have anything against it.”
“Do I have any other choice?”
“No, you don’t.” Anko winked at you, disappearing somewhere in the crowd.
You grabbed your drink and sipped a bit, just to give yourself an excuse for not making any small talk. He mimicked your moves, but as soon as you both put down the glasses, that awkward silence you’ve been trying to avoid sneaked between you two. You looked around searching for some savings, only to see your friend gesturing, making mills with her hands as she would try to tell you “ go on”.
Yeah. Go on. Easy to tell.
Clearing your throat you leaned on your elbows over the counters “So… Okay, I must say that I’m really sorry, but I have no clever conversation starter in my head at the very moment.”
“Okay, let me start then. Is it common for you to buy strangers drinks or only hopeless losers that just had a very, very bad blind date?”
So you were right. Oh, poor man.
“I wouldn’t say that. More like the man who managed to escape from the claws of the gigantic blonde mantis.”
He gulped, before taking another sip “That happens often?”
“You’re first that managed to run from her, so you deserve a reward. That’s where the drink comes from.”
“So I’m a pioneer then. I guess our mutual friend will have an interesting conversation with her soon.” He giggled childishly, closing his eyes shut, shaking his whole body during that. It lasted seconds, and in a matter of one, he came back to a previous, calmer appearance. “But actually there is another reward that I wouldn’t mind winning.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“I’d really love that if you would let me walk you home, if it’s okay with you, of course. Even as a 'thank you' for the free drink. I swear I’m not a creep, even though I... look like one.”
Your brow twitched with annoyance. “Did she call you that?”
“Yeah...” The man nodded after a moment “She also may or may not have added a few invectives to emphasize it. It’s fine tho,” he added, in response to your angry gaze “I got used to that. Guy with… A thing like that must be a creep, surely will follow you home and do bad things. ” Low hissed past his lips, eyes darkened revealing more than he’d probably want to show. And again, in a matter of a moment, he came back to being a calm and serene man. “But you don’t seem bothered plus you’re sober. And that’s something new. And before you say anything, trust me it’s a welcomed surprise and change for once.”
The glass swayed in your hand before you raised it and drank up the whole liquor that remained. Fixing your eyes on his dark ones, you stood up slowly “Maybe because I think that you’re more than just a scar? It’s part of you but it doesn’t define who you are, you can be a nice, charming, and heartwarming man, as much as they call you names and avoid you just because of how you look. And probably you created all sorts of walls around you because of this, but what if someone shows that's not repulsed by that? What if you’d stumble upon someone who doesn’t give a shit about the scars, both physical and mental, and wants to see what lies underneath, to see who you really are? What would happen then?”
For a moment you thought you took it too far. For a moment he sat there like a struck with thunder, staring at you. You could tell that hundreds of thoughts raced through his mind, and for a second you thought he'd get up and leave you and his unfinished drink because you’ve crossed some sort of a line.
Still looking at you he emptied his glass, licked his lips from the remnants of the liquid. This was the first time his low hoarse voice sent a small shiver down your spine “You tell me.”
“Let me grab my jacket, and let’s go find out.” You breathed out and disappeared into the back room.
***
The outside air was different from the stuffy and heavy one inside the bar. Much lighter, fresher, and the smell of recent rain pleasantly tickled inside your nose with every deeper breath you took. He offered you his arm, left one, that small detail didn’t escape your attention, but you accepted it anyway. Curling your arm around his, you couldn’t stop yourself from squeezing it a bit to test what’s underneath the layers of fabric and just smile a little.
For the whole way home, you chatted. Or more likely, he was the chattier one. Maybe he didn’t give a lot about strictly private life, you’ve learned some things anyway. His hobbies, favorite movies, the music he listens to… A lot but still not much.
“Your friend wasn’t lying. That was... Quite a walk.” He spoke when you pointed to the building that your apartment was in.
“I won’t deny it that was a nice one.” Your arm was still entwined with his. You turned to him, putting the other hand on his right arm. Visibly, his body stiffened, the weird grimace entered on him. He looked like he was thinking about something, or rather fighting some urge deep, deep with his inner self.
“Oh, it was indeed… Nice.” He gulped and moved a little bit away, but not enough to escape from your touch. “So… What now? Ehm, I mean… You seem like you’re a woman who knows what she wants and… I-ugh....”
You bit your lip. The man in front of you tempted you with his personality, and his look wasn't a problem for you. His laugh sent shivers down your spine almost every time, and unwittingly your thoughts were drifting away to more... Naughty subjects from time to time. “Well, I can think of two endings of this night…" you finally said "Ending one - you’ll come upstairs with me, and the rest of the night we’ll spend on at least three different surfaces in my apartment, maybe with some breakfast. But it’s only a one-time offer. For a one-night stand. There will be nothing else beyond that.”
“That’s uh… Heh, that’s really an enticing proposal, like really, but I’m curious, what’s the second option then?”
“We’ll kiss goodbye. You know where I work. Now you know where I live. I like spontaneous men, you look like someone who can be spontaneous. I’ll wait for you to ask me out, and we’ll see where this will lead us.”
“Heh, yeah, my latest date didn’t end well.”
“Well, there is a third option, of us just parting away and probably have only a casual talk over a drink here and there, if you’ll come back. But, I guessed already that you wouldn’t be here now, right?”
“Right. I’m here… And I-I ugh… I mean.. Hey!” He jumped, immediately changing his posture and expression “It just occurred to me - I don’t even know your name. You don’t know mine. We don’t know each other!”
“Really? How did we get through the evening then?”
“I honestly have no idea. I’m Obito, you?”
“(Y/n).”
“It’s pretty. Really. Very nice name. I’m trying to think of some cheesy pick-up line, but my brain just refuses.”
“That's probably because you're still a little tipsy.” You leaned on his shoulder, cheek pressed to scarred tissue. He was comfortably warm, the fragrance of his perfume mixed with the vague bar scents that settled on his clothes. “So… What’s your cho-”
The sudden movement startled you. The man pulled you back enough to cup your cheek with an ungloved hand and lean over you. Warm breath spread over your skin, a mixture of rather pleasant smells covered underneath the scent of good whisky hit your nostrils. The other hand rested on the small of your back. He closed his eyes shut right before his lips met yours, pressing them over just slightly, cautiously. It took a few breaths before he moved them, nibbling sheepishly on your lower lip. But before you managed to take this kiss further, pull him closer to you, he parted from you, staying close enough so you could feel his warm heavy breath all over you.
You chuckled softly seeing how dreamy and hazy his eyesight was, studying your features from close up. The further this night went, the more you could feel that it would end in that way. And again, you were right. “You know, by kiss goodbye, I meant kiss on the cheek but this...”
“Uh-oh. Did I take it too far? W-was it bad? Shit, I screwed up-”
“No, no," you laughed "easy there, it was very nice. Unexpected, but very nice. You don’t have to worry about anything.”
“That’s good. Really, really good.” His eyes shone for a second while looking at you, but quickly he broke the stare, wandering with it around “So… It’s okay if I’ll come someday to your seedy little bar and ask you out?”
You laughed and faking an offense, you let a loud exaggerated gasp out of your chest “Seedy little bar?! Oh how dare you, I feel insulte-”
You could finish your sentence if the rest of what you wanted to say didn’t become only a muffled sound. This time he wasn’t so timid and careful. Obito pulled you by the nape of your neck, mouth agape against yours, tongue darted searching for yours to meet. The other hand traveled across your back, from time to time pressing his fingers, trying to pull you even closer to him. Your fingers entangled within dark hair, answering the hasty kiss eagerly.
But you had to watch yourself. It was true what your friend said back in the bar - it’s been a while since you even dated anyone. And the closure of the second body, desperate touches, breathy moans, and gasps that escaped his and your throats was overwhelming. Your heart fluttered on the long-gone feelings that were flooding you now. And the fact that you just met the guy a few hours ago, and you learned his name a few minutes ago… It all was even more thrilling than you thought at the beginning.
But you had to break it. If he decided to go this way… You shouldn't try to change his mind, no matter how tempting it was to lead him upstairs with you. And maybe it was for the better anyway, Obito seemed too interested to give up on him just after one meeting, just after a kiss like that.
You parted from him, breaking the kiss, catching finally a deeper breath.
Clearing your throat, you managed to speak again. “Now, now. You can't use it to shut me up.”
“I wouldn't mind.”
“Oh, I bet.” You giggled, and he followed joining with his childish-like laugh “I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Not for long, I promise.”
“You better. I have to go, have an early shift tomorrow, in case you’d wonder.” Your lips landed on his scarred cheek, leaving a long and delicate peck. He tensed a bit under it but didn’t try to run away. In the glow of street lamps, you could see his face grew redder. “Good night, Obito.”
“Good night, (Y/n).” He said with a shy smile.
He was waiting downstairs, until he saw the single light in one of the windows, being sure you arrived at your apartment. He waited until he saw you waving to him from behind the glass. And he couldn’t help himself from turning around all the time, looking at the single lit light in one of the rooms in the building, before it disappeared from his sight completely behind the other buildings.