Chapter Text
Today's music recommendation: The Police - Don't stand so close to me
The music was blasting out of a speaker next to the exit when I opened the heavy wooden door and entered the crammed bar. Honestly, I was surprised to find it as crowded on a regular weekday, but apparently that didn't make much of a difference around here. How often had I tried to sneak a drink around here before, but it had always been prevented by Vander.
Didn't help when the owner of the bar was a regular customer at your own father's store.
But today was different. Today I was allowed to be here! Finally.
I was making my way through the crowd, heading for the bar, where I didn't find the familiar gruffy face of Vander. I took the last free stool and climbed on it a little clumsily. Looking around for another bartender, I craned my neck from left to right, but nobody was to be seen. I finally wanted my drink!
"Are you even allowed to drink yet, kid?" a low voice from my left, asked me.
I looked where the voice was coming from and found a black-haired man, who wasn't even looking at me, but was scribbling something into a notebook. I knew this man from my father's shop.
He sometimes came to help Vander with the deliveries and sometimes came to buy... other things... And his piercing blue-green eyes seemed to look right into your soul.
Somehow the room now felt warmer.
"Yes, Silco," the familiar voice of the bartender finally echoed over the music. "'cause it's her 18th birthday today!"
Silco put down his pen and now finally gave me a real look. "You know her?", he huffed at Vander.
"Sure, you should too!" He told Silco my name and waited for a reaction. Finally, he sighed. "Claus' eldest!"
It still didn't seem to click with Silco. He turned to look at me again, an eyebrow raised. "You mean, he doesn't just have those four unbearable brats but one more?"
"I'm not a brat!" I fought back weakly. "And my four brothers are only my half-brothers."
Vander made a movement of uncertainty with his hands. "She's Claus' only daughter with his first wife; you know, the one that..." I was thankful that Vander didn't elaborate more on my biological mother's fate in public.
She had left us when I was around six. Just kept leaving the house more often and coming back less and less until she stayed away one day forever. She was found dead three years later on the patch. Until I was ten, it had only been me and my father; then he remarried, and while my stepmother was the kindest and friendliest person in the world, the second my first half-brother was born, I sensed that she would never love me as much as her own flesh and blood.
"So, it's your birthday and I finally can't throw you out of my bar anymore. What can I get you?" Vander brought my attention back to the here and now.
Silco also turned away from me, but I noticed a small eye roll before he went back to his papers.
I honestly had no idea what I wanted, it would be my first time drinking, but I recognized one of the bottles above my head from our own kitchen at home.
My stepmom would sometimes drink that, and she seemed to like it.
I pointed at the green bottle. "I'll take this one."
"Oh, starting out strong, I see," Vander mused and poured me a drink. "If I might give you an advice, I would keep the pace low, okay? I would hate to explain to my vendor why his daughter got an alcohol poisoning on her 18th birthday."
I grinned at him, showing my bright white teeth. "Don't worry, Vander. I'm an adult now. I know what I'm doing."
Of course, he was right to worry, and I didn't know what I was doing.
After some punks around my age found out it was my birthday, they offered me drink after drink. We danced and laughed and drank, and I had the best night of my life so far.
The bar got emptier by each passing hour, and even some of my new "friends" were leaving until it was only me and one of them.
"That's a very pretty dress, you're wearing there", he lulled and gave one of the straps a small push so that it fell from my shoulder.
I giggled, not understanding the situation I was in. Without the intoxication, I would probably have slapped the shit out of that guy, but now? "It belonged to my mother," I slurred. "She was a whore."
That second, the noise of huge hands slamming on the wooden surface of the bar cut through the room.
"Silco!", Vander's mighty voice hollered over the music, and he also called out for me. "I still got work to do around here. But I think it's best if you take her home now. She's had enough."
"I can do that!", the punk instantly offered, but Vander shut him with a stern look.
"No, it's okay, I'll do it." Silco closed his notebook and waved me over. "Come on, let's go."
I wanted to protest. I wasn't that drunk, was I? Did I really need a babysitter?
But Vander's look didn't leave room for protest.
So I followed the slender black-haired man outside the bar. Cold air hit my bare arms, and I instantly shivered.
It had been so warm, when I had come earlier.
"Where is your jacket?", Silco asked, rolling his eyes.
"I don't know. I think one of the girls took it with her," I admitted.
Silco sighed theatrically and slipped out of his own jacket. "Here, take that. You don't want to spend the week after your birthday down with a cold, do you?"
I shook my head and shyly took the jacket.
It smelled of musk, smoke and a tad of old sweat, was heavy and the arms were way too long for me, but otherwise it fit like a glove.
Silco's eyes darkened, and despite the friendly smile on his lips, I felt kind of self-aware at that moment. "Now, that's better, isn't it?" he muttered while lighting a cigarette.
I nodded quickly, and we headed in the direction of my home.
It would only be a walk of around 15 minutes.
I had made these streets so much in my life, I would never have sensed fear before. Still, I was thankful for the company that night.
"What's your name again?", Silco asked after a few minutes.
I told him, and he repeated it lowly.
Despite the jacket, the hairs on my arms rose again.
Never had anyone spoken my name as beautifully as he just had.
I know Silco from my father's store, had seen him ever since him and Vander had "The Last Drop". To my disappointment, I now realized that he had cut his hair slightly and only wore it in a low ponytail, not in his usual messy bun tonight. I tried to think about something to talk to a man who was about twice my age, but my drunk self couldn't come up with anything. We just walked besides each other while Silco had a second smoke, until we reached the street I lived in. "It isn't far anymore," I murmured, and was surprised about how husky my voice sounded in the cold of the night.
"I know where Claus lives," Silco repeated. He was clearly avoiding looking at me, but I wasn't able to make sense of it back then.
When we finally reached my house, I leaned against the door frame. "Ah, stupid thing!", I cursed when my keys didn't want to fit the hole and additionally fell to the ground.
Silco threw his cigarette down and ground the butt out. "Come, let me get that for you."
Before I could move, Silco reached down for the keys.
While he rose, our glances shortly met, and his green eyes took my breath away for a second.
I couldn't move as he pulled the key to the hole and pushed the door open for me.
He was so close I could smell him perspire, the same scent as his jacket had. As we locked eyes again, he didn't move either.
"So," I made, suddenly feeling sober and bold. "don't you want to take advantage of an intoxicated young girl like me too?"
As his eyes flicked towards my lips, I felt my knees turn weak for a second. "I'm way too old for you, kid. And you're drunk. Vander trusted me with your safety."
"And if it wasn't for Vander?" I placed my head against the door frame.
Silco's hand came above my head as he leaned closer. "I would still be too old for you."
"How old exactly are you? As long as you aren't... like my dad's age, I don't see the problem."
"I'm 30, kid. Trust me, you don't want that."
I raised an eyebrow. "Not as old as I assumed."
Silco's posture straightened, and he broke eye contact. "Charming," he huffed as he ran the hand that was just above me through his hair. "Now, good night, kid."
"Wait!"
He looked back down at me from the corner of his eyes.
"I'm not even getting a goodnight's kiss?"
Silco sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're a real nuisance, you know that?" He still leaned down, and his thin lips planted a small smack on top of my cheek. "Now, good night." He really turned and took some steps down the streets.
"Silco!", I called out again, and he again faced me.
Loose strands of black hair framed his remarkable face.
"Your jacket!"
He smiled. "Keep it, kid. I still got one. You can return it once you've brought yourself a new one."
"I'll get one from my first salary. Dad said I can work in his store now for real."
"Do that," he mused and continued walking.
I couldn't keep my eyes off him, until he vanished behind a corner. Then I finally released the breath I've been holding unnoticed. My hand touched the cheek that just had been kissed, then I finally managed to step into my house.