Felix looked around. The bar was nearly empty, and he pulled up a stool. It was warm in here; the chill of the early spring air driven off by the fire in the stone fireplace at the end of room. Even without a crowd, the bar still smelled like smoke, but every now and then Felix got a whiff of the bare pine timbers that made up the walls.
"What will it be, Felix?"
Tigh was behind the bar, polishing a glass and looking too much like an archetype for Felix not to smirk. But even though the Tighs only had six liquors, that still felt like being spoiled for choice. He looked at the list. "I'll have something with gin," he said.
It was his usual order, and Tigh began to mix... whatever he put into Felix's drink. "Where's Hoshi tonight?" he asked.
"Playing Pyramid with a few of the Pegasus crowd," Felix said.
"You not playing?"
Felix snorted. "In two years, I've gotten pretty damned good at walking, but pyramid is still a bit beyond me. I was supposed to meet some people."
Tigh grunted acknowledgment and handed Felix his drink. Felix pushed a few coins across the bar, but Tigh ignored them.
"Good God, it's quiet out here." Ellen Tigh pushed the door open with her hip. "And it's going to get even quieter. I just got a message- oh, Felix. Hello."
"Hello, Ellen." It was still occasionally hard not to call her Mrs. Tigh.
"I have a message for you," Ellen said. She put a plate down in front of Tigh, and the smell of roasted meat drifted up to Felix and reminded him he hadn't bothered to eat much for dinner. "Brooks came over. He said that Hera's down with some virus, and Gabriel caught it, too. Both he and Sarah are stuck in tonight."
"Well, frak," Felix said, sighing. "I knew I should have gone home first. Now what am I going to do with my night? I was looking forward to getting drunk."
"Felix," Ellen laughed, draping an arm around Saul's shoulders, "you've come to the right place."
***
One Round
The gin drink was good as always; a slight sweetness fronting a bitter burn. Felix swallowed it appreciatively.
"Have you eaten, Felix?" Ellen asked.
"I grabbed a sandwich at that place down the street," Felix said.
"Ah, their food is barely worth eating," Tigh growled.
"No kidding," Ellen agreed. She disappeared through the door, and Felix caught sight of the small kitchen. There wasn't much in terms of ovens; most people did their cooking over a firepit. She returned bearing a ceramic plate loaded with meat and bread and a soft cheese. "Much better," she said, putting it down in front of Felix. "And eat it all," she warned him. "You're going to need it."
Felix dug in his pocket. "I should pay you."
"Put it away," Tigh ordered him. "One thing I know hasn't changed; teachers still get paid shit."
"Besides," Ellen insisted, leaning her forearms on the bar, "you're like family."
"But you're running a business-"
"Is that your problem?" Ellen went over to the door and hung the closed sign out. "There. Not tonight. You're our guest." Tigh nodded.
Felix tried to tell himself that the warmth in his chest was from the gin.
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branchandroot
Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo
Date: 2010-05-29 05:06 am (UTC)Felix looked around. The bar was nearly empty, and he pulled up a stool. It was warm in here; the chill of the early spring air driven off by the fire in the stone fireplace at the end of room. Even without a crowd, the bar still smelled like smoke, but every now and then Felix got a whiff of the bare pine timbers that made up the walls.
"What will it be, Felix?"
Tigh was behind the bar, polishing a glass and looking too much like an archetype for Felix not to smirk. But even though the Tighs only had six liquors, that still felt like being spoiled for choice. He looked at the list. "I'll have something with gin," he said.
It was his usual order, and Tigh began to mix... whatever he put into Felix's drink. "Where's Hoshi tonight?" he asked.
"Playing Pyramid with a few of the Pegasus crowd," Felix said.
"You not playing?"
Felix snorted. "In two years, I've gotten pretty damned good at walking, but pyramid is still a bit beyond me. I was supposed to meet some people."
Tigh grunted acknowledgment and handed Felix his drink. Felix pushed a few coins across the bar, but Tigh ignored them.
"Good God, it's quiet out here." Ellen Tigh pushed the door open with her hip. "And it's going to get even quieter. I just got a message- oh, Felix. Hello."
"Hello, Ellen." It was still occasionally hard not to call her Mrs. Tigh.
"I have a message for you," Ellen said. She put a plate down in front of Tigh, and the smell of roasted meat drifted up to Felix and reminded him he hadn't bothered to eat much for dinner. "Brooks came over. He said that Hera's down with some virus, and Gabriel caught it, too. Both he and Sarah are stuck in tonight."
"Well, frak," Felix said, sighing. "I knew I should have gone home first. Now what am I going to do with my night? I was looking forward to getting drunk."
"Felix," Ellen laughed, draping an arm around Saul's shoulders, "you've come to the right place."
***
One Round
The gin drink was good as always; a slight sweetness fronting a bitter burn. Felix swallowed it appreciatively.
"Have you eaten, Felix?" Ellen asked.
"I grabbed a sandwich at that place down the street," Felix said.
"Ah, their food is barely worth eating," Tigh growled.
"No kidding," Ellen agreed. She disappeared through the door, and Felix caught sight of the small kitchen. There wasn't much in terms of ovens; most people did their cooking over a firepit. She returned bearing a ceramic plate loaded with meat and bread and a soft cheese. "Much better," she said, putting it down in front of Felix. "And eat it all," she warned him. "You're going to need it."
Felix dug in his pocket. "I should pay you."
"Put it away," Tigh ordered him. "One thing I know hasn't changed; teachers still get paid shit."
"Besides," Ellen insisted, leaning her forearms on the bar, "you're like family."
"But you're running a business-"
"Is that your problem?" Ellen went over to the door and hung the closed sign out. "There. Not tonight. You're our guest." Tigh nodded.
Felix tried to tell himself that the warmth in his chest was from the gin.