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The bar smells like beer, smoke, and poor life decisions. Chloe immediately feels at home.
She slumps into the booth across from Nadine, stretching her legs out under the table like she owns the place. Her shoulder still ached from the fight that broke out twenty minutes prior at the bar across the street. Two men, drunk and aggressive, had been harassing a woman at the bar and Chloe had ceremoniously stepped in and told them to leave her alone. One of the men, so angered by her interference, had shoved Chloe into the table behind her just as Nadine had come out from the toilet. Big mistake. Within minutes, Nadine had knocked both of the men out cold, grabbed Chloe’s hand, and dragged her to the bar across the street.
All things considered, not a bad night at all.
Now, they were sitting in their dimly lit booth and unpacking the events of the day - having narrowly escaped a collapsing building in a compound nearby only a few hours before. Their generously poured drinks were a perfect way to take the edge off.
“You nearly got us killed,” Nadine says calmly, sipping her drink.
Chloe grins. “Nearly doesn’t count.”
Nadine lifts an eyebrow. It’s the look that usually comes before a lecture, but the corner of her mouth twitches into a small smile instead. Chloe catches it and feels a strange little spark of satisfaction warm her chest. See? Not dead. Worth it.
The music in the bar blends nicely into the background of their comfortable silence. The bar is bustling and busy. Someone shouts for another beer across the room. A glass breaks somewhere near the pool table. Sounds of laughter echoing throughout the room. Chloe leans back, watching Nadine over the rim of her glass. The dim lights catch the sharp line of her jaw, the slow, controlled way she drinks. God. When did she start noticing that?
Before Chloe can interrogate that thought too closely, someone approaches their table.
“Well,” a voice says, light and amused, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone survive that many punches in one evening.” Chloe glances up.
A woman stands beside their booth. Tall. Confident. Leather jacket slung over one shoulder. Her attention, very clearly, is fixed on Nadine. Nadine blinks, mildly surprised.
“Occupational hazard,” she replies. The woman laughs softly and slides into the empty seat beside her like she’s been invited. Chloe straightens a little in her seat. Interesting.
“You looked like you had things under control,” the woman says, resting her elbow on the table. “But I thought I’d check you weren’t bleeding internally or anything.”
“I’m fine.”
“Pity,” the woman says, smiling. “That would’ve given me an excuse to stay longer.”
Chloe takes a slow sip of whiskey to keep herself occupied, feeling like she’s intruding on a conversation she shouldn’t be hearing.
Nadine, to her credit, looks faintly confused by the blatant flirting. She glances briefly at Chloe, like she’s checking if this is some kind of setup. Chloe gives her a bright, utterly unhelpful smile. Go on. Let’s see how you handle this.
“So,” the woman continues, “what’s your name?”
“Nadine.”
“Good name.”
“And you are?”
“Jess.”
Jess’s gaze lingers on Nadine in a way that’s not remotely subtle. Chloe sets her glass down a little harder than intended, causing both women to glance at her.
“Sorry,” Chloe says lightly. “Slippery glass.”
Jess gives her a polite smile, the kind reserved for background characters, before turning her focus back to Nadine.
“So, Nadine,” she says, leaning closer, “do you always walk into bars looking like you could knock out half the room?”
Chloe scoffs under her breath. Nadine ignores the comment entirely.
“We’re just passing through,” she says.
“What a shame.” Jess tilts her head. “I was thinking maybe I could buy you a drink.”
Chloe can hardly stifle her chuckle. Jess’s gaze lands on Chloe once again with the slightest air of irritation.
“Is there something wrong?”
“Well, you’re sitting at our table,” Chloe replies. “It would be rude not to.”
Nadine kicks Chloe lightly under the table. Chloe kicks back. Jess watches the exchange with growing amusement, a small flicker of realisation on her face.
“Ah. Are you two together?” she asks casually.
Chloe opens her mouth to speak but she finds herself lost for words.
“No,” Nadine says after a beat, speaking for both of them. Her reply lands a little sharper than Chloe expects. Something small and annoying twists in her chest that she can’t quite place, but she brushes it off and offers a light smile to Jess who appears delighted.
“Lucky me, then.”
She rests her hand on the table. Not touching Nadine, but close enough to suggest the possibility. Another twist in Chloe’s chest is harder to ignore this time. She averts her gaze, now finding the bottom of her whiskey glass to be quite interesting.
“So,” Jess says to Nadine, “what do you do when you’re not starting bar fights?”
“We didn’t start that fight.”
Jess raises an eyebrow.
Nadine sighs. “Fine. She started it.”
Chloe gasps. “I did not!”
Jess laughs again. There’s a hint of a smile on Nadine’s lips. And that’s when Chloe feels it properly - a tiny, irrational flicker of irritation. Because that smile is rare. And apparently Jess gets it now. Bloody fantastic.
Chloe clears her throat and leans forward, folding her arms on the table.
“So Jess,” she says brightly, “do you always insert yourself into strangers’ conversations or is tonight special?”
Jess doesn’t even flinch.
“I go where the interesting people are,” she replies, glancing back at Nadine.
“Flattering,” Chloe interjects, ripping Jess’s attention back to her.
Nadine exhales slowly, rubbing a hand over her cheek. Chloe watches Jess lean a little closer again. Too close. Something hot prickles at the back of her neck and she suddenly feels incredibly claustrophobic.
“Well,” Chloe says suddenly, sliding out of the booth, “I’m getting another drink.”
She doesn’t actually need one. But if she has to watch this woman flirt with Nadine for another minute, she might do something deeply embarrassing. As she heads for the bar, she just manages to catch Jess’s words.
“So, Nadine… tell me about your friend.”
Chloe stops mid-walk.
Friend.
Right.
She knocks back the next whiskey in one go. From the corner of her eye, she sees Nadine glance toward her across the room, just for a moment. And for some reason, that makes Chloe’s chest feel even tighter. She orders another whiskey she doesn’t really need and the bartender slides it over. She stares at it for a second before taking a sip, leaning one elbow on the counter.
She’s just giving Nadine space, which is very mature of her. It’s a very normal thing to do. It’s not because she’s irrationally annoyed that some leather-jacketed stranger has decided to flirt with Nadine like she’s the last woman on earth.
Chloe glances over her shoulder. Jess is still at the table, still smiling. And Nadine is… talking. Actually talking. Not politely nodding, or doing the tight-lipped thing she does when someone is irritating her. Talking.
Chloe narrows her eyes. From this distance she can’t hear them, but she can see Jess lean closer again, laughing at something Nadine says. And Nadine…Nadine lets out a quiet laugh.
Chloe almost chokes on her drink. Oh, you’ve got to be kidding. She can’t face looking any longer and turns back to the bar.
Fine.
Fine.
If Nadine wants to flirt with some random woman five minutes after nearly getting both of them killed in a collapsing building, then Chloe is obviously not bothered. Not bothered whatsoever. She polishes off the whiskey in one gulp. Just as she’s about to order another, she hears footsteps approaching her from behind.
“Thought you were getting a drink,” Nadine says.
Chloe doesn’t turn around immediately, trying to regain some composure.
“Yep, I got one.”
“Two, actually.”
Chloe finally glances over her shoulder. Nadine is standing beside her, arms folded, expression carefully neutral. Jess is still at the booth, watching them with open curiosity. Chloe raises her glass.
“Well, you looked busy.”
“I wasn’t.”
Chloe snorts. “Could’ve fooled me.”
Nadine studies her for a moment, assessing the situation. Then something subtle shifts in her expression. A tiny glint of understanding.
“Oh,” she says quietly.
Chloe stiffens, suddenly feeling quite exposed.
“Oh what?”
“Nothing,” Nadine replies, her calm tone giving nothing away.
Chloe narrows her eyes. “What?”
Nadine leans one elbow on the bar beside her.
“You left,” she says mildly.
“Yes.”
“Very abruptly.”
“I wanted a drink.”
“You already had one.”
Chloe turns to face her fully now. “What are you getting at?”
Nadine glances back toward the booth where Jess is still sitting. Then she looks back at Chloe. Something dangerous flickers in her eyes.
“Well,” Nadine says casually, “Jess was asking about you.”
“Oh?”
“She thinks you’re trouble.”
Chloe smirks automatically. “She’s got good instincts.”
Nadine nods once. Then she says, very deliberately:
“She also asked if you were my girlfriend.”
The word lands somewhere low in Chloe’s stomach. Heat spreads through her chest before she can stop it.
“And?” Chloe asks, trying to sound unmoved.
“I told her no.”
Of course she did. Why wouldn’t she?
Chloe orders another drink from the bar.
“Good.”
Nadine watches her a little too closely, trying to read her expression.
“Good?” Nadine repeats.
“Yeah,” Chloe says, shrugging. “Wouldn’t want to scare off your admirers.”
There’s a beat of silence.
Then Nadine says quietly:
“She asked if I was interested in her.”
Chloe almost drops the glass. She recovers quickly, forcing a smile.
“And… are you?”
Nadine doesn’t answer immediately. Instead she turns slightly, glancing back at Jess again, who lifts her drink in a small salute. Nadine turns back to Chloe. And for a moment she just studies her face. Then, she says very calmly:
“I might be.”
The jealousy hits Chloe like a lightning strike. Fast. Sharp. Completely and utterly ridiculous. She sets her glass down.
“Right,” she says lightly. “Well, please don’t let me stop you.”
She turns like she’s about to walk away when Nadine catches her wrist. Not hard, but just enough to stop her. Chloe looks down at the contact, then up at Nadine, trying her best to hide her irritation. Nadine’s voice is quiet and tentative.
“You’re glaring.”
“I’m not glaring,” Chloe replies a little too quickly. She tries to relax her stance and smile, but Nadine sees right through her.
“You absolutely are.”
Chloe scoffs. “Please. I’m thrilled for you.”
Nadine studies her. She tilts her head and a small dubious smile spreads across her face.
“You’re jealous.”
Chloe laughs - maybe a little too loudly.
“Of what? Her?”
Nadine doesn’t dare move. She doesn’t blink. She just watches her. And Chloe hates that look because it feels like Nadine can see straight through her skull.
“Relax,” Chloe mutters. “You can flirt with whoever you like.”
“I know.”
Another beat. Nadine’s fingers are still loosely around her wrist, warm and steady. Then Nadine leans a little closer. Close enough that Chloe can smell whiskey on her breath.
“Interesting reaction for someone who isn’t jealous,” Nadine says, low.
Chloe’s pulse jumps.
“Let go of me.”
“Make me.”
Christ. She hates when Nadine does that. Chloe yanks her wrist free. Then, purely out of spite, she grabs the nearest man at the bar by the sleeve.
“Hi,” she says brightly to him.
The poor guy blinks.
“Uh… hi?”
Chloe throws a dazzling smile his way and leans against the bar.
“Buy me a drink?”
Behind her, Nadine goes very still. Chloe makes a point not to look back. But she can feel it - a shift in the air.
The man laughs nervously. “Sure.”
“Perfect,” Chloe says.
Then she finally glances over her shoulder at Nadine. Just for a second. And the look on Nadine’s face is not amused at all. Chloe’s heart does a very stupid little flip.
Two can play at this game.
The guy’s name might be Tim. Or Tom. Chloe isn’t entirely sure, and definitely doesn’t care. He’s been talking about something involving motorcycles and Thailand for the past fifteen minutes, and Chloe is nodding in the vague way people do when they’re only half-listening.
“—so yeah, I spent six months out there—”
“Sounds thrilling,” Chloe says, smiling sweetly, touching his arm lightly.
Behind her, she can feel it - that presence. Like standing near a storm cloud that’s about to shoot out lightning. But she doesn’t turn around. Because if she turns around, the game would be over. And where’s the fun in that?
Tim-or-Tom laughs. “What about you? Travel much?”
Chloe leans one elbow on the bar and feigns interest.
“Oh, here and there-”
She’s interrupted by the sound of a glass thudding down in front of her. Not the bartender. A hand. A familiar, controlled hand. Chloe slowly turns her head. Nadine is standing beside her again, her expression calm. Almost too calm.
The man glances between them. “Uh… hey.”
Nadine doesn’t even look at him. She looks only at Chloe.
“You’re done.”
Chloe feels a jolt course through her chest. She raises an eyebrow.
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
Tim-or-Tom shifts awkwardly. “Do you two—”
“No,” Chloe says quickly.
“Yes,” Nadine says at the same time.
They stare at each other, the air growing thick between them.
Chloe smirks. “See? Even we don’t know.”
Nadine exhales slowly through her nose.
Chloe recognises it as the sound she makes when she’s about to either punch someone or drag them out of a burning building. Sometimes both. Nadine turns to face the man.
“Thanks for keeping her entertained,” Nadine says politely, “but she’s coming with me.”
Chloe snorts. “Am I?”
Nadine’s hand closes around her wrist again. Firmer this time. Chloe’s pulse skips and she feels heat coursing through her skin.
“Nadine—”
“Outside,” Nadine says.
Chloe can feel her heart in her mouth but can’t find herself able to move.
“That wasn’t a request,” she adds.
Tim-or-Tom wisely decides this is none of his business and vanishes back toward the other end of the bar.
Nadine pulls. Chloe lets herself be tugged off the stool, stumbling slightly as she grabs her jacket.
“Bossy,” Chloe mutters under her breath.
“You’re provoking me.” Nadine says flatly.
Chloe grins.
“It’s working, though.”
Nadine stops in the middle of the bar. She turns slowly, and the look she gives Chloe makes her grin falter just a little. Because it’s not annoyed… not exactly. It’s something darker. Something hotter.
“Oh, it’s working,” Nadine says quietly.
Then she pulls Chloe toward the door.
The night air hits Chloe like a bucket of ice water, but she barely notices. Nadine’s hand is still gripping her wrist, firm and unyielding.
“You’re ridiculous,” Chloe breathes, trying to sound annoyed, though her chest is hammering.
“I could say the same,” Nadine replies, her voice low but controlled.
Chloe swallows. Her back hits the brick wall behind her. Nadine doesn’t release her hand - instead, she leans in a bit closer, their faces only inches apart.
Chloe’s mind stutters. This is happening. This is actually happening. Do not mess this up.
Nadine tilts her head slightly, studying her once more. That look—it’s familiar, that precise mix of curiosity and danger—and Chloe’s knees threaten to buckle.
“You were trying to make me jealous,” Nadine says quietly.
Chloe smirks, breath shaky. “Was I?”
“You definitely were,” Nadine counters, eyes glinting in the streetlight.
“Hmm,” Chloe murmurs, leaning into the wall a little more, testing the distance. “And how does that make you feel?”
Nadine moves a step closer.
“Stop teasing me,” Nadine murmurs, her voice husky. There’s a flicker of something—want, impatience, heat—in her tone that makes Chloe’s stomach flip. The sound of the busy city street has faded out of existence; now it’s just her and Nadine and this unbearable tension.
Nadine’s hand moves from Chloe’s wrist to the small of her back, pressing lightly, and suddenly, Chloe can’t breathe.
“Or what?” Chloe challenges, though her voice shakes despite herself.
Nadine doesn’t answer, she just leans in. Their lips meet, and it’s explosive - everything Chloe didn’t know she’d been holding back comes spilling into it. Urgent, hot, desperate. Nadine’s mouth is commanding and soft all at once, a contradiction Chloe loves. She wraps her arms around Nadine’s neck, pressing closer, heart thudding, thinking Finally. Finally.
Nadine’s hands roam with a mix of restraint and urgency, memorising the curves of Chloe’s body against her own. Chloe moans softly into the kiss, pressing her body harder against Nadine’s, feeling the subtle flex and heat of her muscles. Nadine answers in kind, tugging at Chloe’s jacket, lips trailing down her neck, whispering little things that make Chloe shiver and laugh simultaneously.
“Okay,” Chloe gasps between kisses, “if you keep that up, we’re going to cause a scene.”
Nadine smirks against her skin. “Let them watch.”
“Alright, easy tiger,” Chloe chuckles as she pulls back. “Let’s save all of this for the hotel room, yeah?”
Nadine yields, stepping away. She takes a moment to catch her breath.
“God… you are infuriating,” Nadine says, low.
“You love it though,” Chloe purrs back, grinning.
“I’m serious,” Nadine replies softly. “You flirt like a professional and it drives me insane.”
Chloe laughs, and Nadine joins her. And that’s all it takes. A laugh, a shared breath, and they’re leaning back into each other, warm and tangled, the street forgotten, the chaos of the bar forgotten, and Chloe thinks maybe, just maybe, this is exactly where she was supposed to be.