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The pub smelled of stale beer and burnt wood, its dim light catching on half-empty bottles and slumped shoulders. It wasn’t a place for joy or camaraderie—it was more like a resting place for those caught in transit, stuck between what they wanted and what they could have.
Curly sat at the corner of the bar, hands wrapped around a glass of soda he hadn’t touched in over an hour. He wasn’t drinking tonight—not because he didn’t want to, but because even the idea of alcohol felt like too much weight. His gaze drifted toward the patrons around him, holding onto their bottles like lifelines, faces heavy with something that wasn’t quite sadness but wasn’t far off.
The barstool beside him creaked, and Curly didn’t need to look to know who it was.
“Thought I’d find you here,” James—no, Jim—said, his voice lighter than the atmosphere around them. “You’ve got this... thing about brooding alone in sad places, grant.”
Curly snorted softly, glancing over. “And you’ve got this thing about following me everywhere, Jim.”
“Someone’s gotta keep you out of trouble.” Jim flagged the bartender, ordering himself a drink before turning his full attention to Curly. “What’s the deal tonight? You look like someone ran over your dog and then backed up to make sure.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Uh-huh. And I’m the captain of the ship.” Jim leaned on the counter, folding his arms as he studied Curly’s face. “C’mon, spill it. You’ve got that look again.”
“What look?”
“That one you get when you’re spiraling but pretending you’ve got it all under control when you don't.”
Curly sighed, resting his forehead against his hand. “It’s just... everything. The ship, the crew, the missions... feels like we’re just going through the motions, you know? Like none of it matters. Like I’m just stuck in this... endless loop. I'm not even sure if I still want to work for pony express anymore.”
Jim was quiet for a moment, and for once, it wasn’t the quiet of someone waiting to strike—it was the quiet of someone listening.
“You ever think it’s not about the loop?” Jim asked eventually.
Curly glanced at him, brow furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jim shrugged, sipping his drink. “I mean, maybe it’s not about whether or not you’re stuck. Maybe it’s about who’s stuck with you. Kinda makes the whole thing less miserable, doesn’t it?”
Curly’s lips twitched, almost forming a smile. “What, are you saying you’re the reason I haven’t completely lost it yet?”
“I mean, yeah.” Jim grinned, and for once, it was warm instead of smug. “Don’t tell me you don’t feel the same. You’d miss me if I wasn’t around to annoy the hell outta you.”
Curly rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, he let the tension in his shoulders ease, the edges of his frustration softening just a little.
“You’re not as annoying as you think you are,” he muttered.
“Wow. I’ll take that as high praise.” Jim sat back, a smug grin creeping onto his face. “Speaking of praise, did I tell you the one about the astronaut who didn’t come back from his mission?”
Curly raised an eyebrow. “I’m afraid to ask.”
Jim leaned in conspiratorially. “He was over the moon.”
Curly groaned, shaking his head. “Why do I even talk to you? that wasn't even funny.”
“To make your life more stellar, obviously,” Jim quipped, laughing at his own joke.
Curly smirked despite himself, shaking his head. “You’re lucky I don’t throw this glass at you.”
“Nah, you love me too much. Besides, I’ve got another one for you. Why did the skeleton not go to the bar?”
Curly narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know. Why?”
“He had no body to go with!” Jim burst into laughter, almost spilling his own drink.
“You’re insufferable,” Curly muttered, but his tone was lighter, the weight on his chest lifting just a little.
“Admit it,” Jim said, nudging him playfully. “You’d miss this if I weren’t around.”
Curly didn’t respond immediately, but as the pub’s heavy atmosphere seemed to ease just a bit, he glanced at Jim and muttered, “Maybe a little.”
“See?” Jim grinned triumphantly. “I grow on you.”
“Like mold,” Curly shot back, but there was a hint of affection in his voice that Jim couldn’t miss.