Happy hour's like a holiday

Hanging with you's like getting away
outfit @jd

Counting the seconds, what a miserable way to live. Kristina never used to stare at the clock so much, how long had that clock even been there? It seemed as though it had only appeared a few weeks ago. During her existential crisis, of course. It had been an earth shaker, that crisis of hers, and it put everything into perspective, clear as crystal, up close and very, very personal. It was under that microscope looking at her life in great detail that she found she was in a rut. And that realization floored her. She had never been in a rut before, how could this have happened? Is it possible that day after day, week after week, year after year her life had lost all of it's spark? 

Kristina had found that her life was plain, and that was something she just could not bare. So little by little she began digging herself out of the rut. The only issue? To those who cared about her it looked more like she had given up on the rut, and instead began digging a gaping, deep, hole. The sweet brunette had found solace in the recklessness she so craved. She kept the company of strange men, drank a little too much a little too often, among other issues. No one had noticed yet, really, how deep her hole was becoming. No one knew how she had put her job, the one thing in this world that she loved most, on the line.

And no one would...

No, Kristina decided to keep that to herself. She had been keeping a lot of things to herself as of late, including her company. It had been ages since she had shared a moment with a friend. Spoke to a person without asking them to bed, or what to buy. Somehow in her broken state of mind that fact didn't bother her in the slightest. But she did find herself yearning for the company of a friend. So as the last few seconds of her shift ticked by her heart grew with excitement. She knew just what she would do.

After practically sprinting from Watson's she hustled down to the local ice cream shop knowing her friend would be there, she smiled as if she had a secret, poking her head into the store. "JD!" her Scottish accent rang happily, "Your shift nearly through? I'd like ta buy ye a drink! That is, if yer up for it!"

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(I figured they could weasel their way to ol' Leaky :D  )

There were good days and there were bad days. Someday’s he was fine and happy; he could have fun and dance. He would make his ice cream and make people laugh, be awkward and weird but on the bad days he was quiet. On the bad days he was quiet and reserved with an anger streak over the smallest things. He had things that could make him happy in his life. He had his cats, he had his job, and he lived an alright life; but none of that ever could hide the loneliness that he felt. He was good at faking it, at hiding when he wasn’t at his best; but some things he just couldn’t hide no matter how hard the people around him tried.

This was a very bad day and he had spent a good portion throwing things around in the back room. Thankfully he had been alone in the shop when it had happened. He was just having an angry day and he knew what it meant, he would lock the cats in the spare room and get shit faced when he went home. These days were far and few between but they happened more than they should. He just wanted the day to be over with and he watched the clock. He ignored the sample schedule, and made some darker colored ice creams, to suit his mood. They sold, like they always would. And he was just done with the day.

He still had a hour or two of work left and was cleaning his dishes when he heard someone calling out to him. Popping his head into the backroom he looked at the ess and knew he had he next day off. ”Fuck it.” He muttered to himself and threw his apron into the pile. ”No, I can go now. Let’s get out of here. I’m tired of the mess.” He walked past the manager and nodded to the man who knew the mood that JD was in and he put on his coat as he took a step outside the shop.

”sorry, just a bad day.” More like his insecurities were sneaking in on him and he let his fear that Jessie would be the only person to ever love him haunt him. He had considered going to get a hair cut and shaving, just for the change, but he would wait to decide on another day.

Outfit

HAPPY HOUR'S LIKE A HOLIDAY

HANGING WITH YOU'S LIKE GETTING AWAY

JD seemed to be like a switch sometimes, he was either on or off. Most of the times he was on, chipper and fun to be around, but sometimes he was off. As the older man stormed from the back of the shop tossing his apron down in front of his boss Kristina furrowed her brow, shooting the manager a confused look. Something told her it wasn't just a bad day in the ice cream making business, there was something more on his mind. Kristina loved JD, in a platonic way, and she cared about him. Which is sort of weird because she hardly cares for anyone these days, but he was always so kind and sweet to her. He deserved nothing but happiness in her eyes, and she could tell he wasn't feeling happy today. 

Kristina slipped her arm around him, keeping her chipper smile in an attempt to cheer him up. She began leading him down the alley to the good ol' Leaky Cauldron. He apologized, and she scoffed, perking her brow at him. "Oh deary, you need not apologize." Kristina smiled softly at him, rubbing his arm in what was meant to be a tender way. "Come now-" she patted him, "-we can talk about it. Or we can drink about it."

She chuckled, leading him across the way and into the bar. "Or we can do both. Now what are ye drinkin'? Cuz even if ye want to talk about it we're still drinking about it too." The small brunette wrinkled her nose with a smile, leading him to a few empty bar stools. The pub was nearly empty, but even still the murmuring of conversation and glass clinking filled the air, along with the smell of ale. Kristina felt the weight of the day drifting off, and she hoped she would be able to cheer up her friend. Or at least offer a listening ear.

He had been fortunate enough that he had been given a good life. He had been persecuted for anything, he had not been forced to suffer for any reason other than being alone and much of that was his own fault. All of his pain that he was feeling, the bad mood that he was in was in large part his fault. He knew that he had not been deserving of Jessie. She had been too pretty, too slight, to angelic for him. He had seen that angel turn to a devil though the moment he had proposed. Looking back now he knew that he had been wasting his time and that he wasn’t worth his time.

This however, did not stop him from hating himself and her for all of it. He wanted to change things, he wanted the life that he had always wanted, but today he felt like a fool because of how much time he had wasted waiting for Jessie to come back. Waiting to see if his love was enough, if he was enough. It should have been clear enough when she had not come back. He hated himself because he still loved her, even if he shouldn't. Even if everything in the world told him that he deserved better.

He put his arm around Kristina’s shoulders and smirked, shaking his head. The light was back in his eyes, but he was still feeling kind of grumpy. His right hand rubbed her back slowly and he sighed. ’I know. He frowned for a moment and then groaned before looking down at her. ”Feelings are not something that is fun.” He said and pushed his hair from his eyes.

He sat on a stool and cracked a few peanuts. ”Pint of lager.” He said nodding at the man and looking at the bowl of nuts and not his friend. ”Only one thing makes me angry, and you know exactly who has been riding on my mind.” He had brought up Jessie before, and he knew that he would be judged a little for hanging on to her the way that he did. He just hadn’t dated at all since then. He could if he wanted to, but he had no idea what to do, or where to go to get on that tran.

HAPPY HOUR'S LIKE A HOLIDAY

HANGING WITH YOU'S LIKE GETTING AWAY

Ah yes, Jessie. Kristina had never met the woman before, she had been out of JD's life for so long and yet her impression was forever burned in his memory. She recalled him speaking about her from time to time, usually when they were both quite a ways in the bag, and at one time she had almost been jealous of his pain. Kristina had never loved anyone, really. Not in a romantic way. In school she had lovers, yes, but never a real relationship. At least nothing that lasted more than a month. As much as it seemed to tear JD up, she had envied him once.

Now, however, she didn't feel envy. She didn't feel much at all after her existential crisis nearly a month ago. It was almost like her anxiety had broke her, completely and utterly broke her. The only thing she felt these days was drunk, or high. High from illegal potions, muggle substances, and that strange high she felt when she started her smuggling business. Those were her only feelings now, well...that, and the dread that came with her anxiety when all those highs ran out.

Kristina managed to keep most of her life a secret, the anxiety, the smuggling, the drugs. Not the drinking, however. She had always been a drinker. But everything else she stowed away, covering it with lies as she did everything else since childhood. It was what she was best at. But even though all her choas and mess, she still found time for her friends. And JD was one of the few that she actually gave a real damn about.

As he told the barkeep of his order, Kristina raised her finger to silently order two. "I've got first drink love," the brunette said with a soft smile. Her brows furrowed with sympathy as he spoke into the bowl of nuts. "Aye," she nodded as the keep set their drinks down, a half smile perking on her lips. Kristina playfully bumped her shoulder into his, "But there's much nicer things ta ride than yer mind!" She chuckled lightly and looked at her friend to see if she'd managed to bring out his smile. Taking her pint in her hand she turned her gaze to the liquor bottles lined up behind the bar. "So what's got her on yer mind?"

It wasn’t often that anger showed in those blue eyes. Not often was the darkness within them, but there were days when nothing went his way, when he was reminded of every single bad thing that he had done. He hated it, but it did happen. Even the happiest of people have dark days, and he would do his best to not take it out on innocent Kristina. She was so sweet and a good friend of his. They had been friends for a while and she knew full well the reason that he was angry. She was engaged now, getting married to the bloke she had been with since she had ended things with JD. It anger him. It made him…. It made him want to do things man things. Like drink, and be angry, and maybe screw. Though he was often far too much of a gentleman to do that.

He wanted to show Jessie what she was missing, but in the years since she had gone nothing had changed for him. He had more cats, he was still in the same flat, and he still had the same job. He could have changed something, he could have bought the parlor if he had tried, but he had been happy where he was for so long, the idea of him having to change wasn’t something he wanted to face. He wanted to, because he wanted to be happy, but he wanted a reason other than she wanted him to. Maybe he was just being silly. Maybe he just needed to get laid like some of his friends suggested. He had no idea, but he was so tired of the cloying loneliness that seemed to over take him.

Eating some peanuts he sighed and ran a hand into his hair and the sat up. ”She’s getting married in June.” He took a drink from his glass and then looked at her. ”She’s been with the bloke since we broke up, and based on the two kids they have, and their ages, they were together when we were living together.” He tossed some shells into the empty bowl before pulling the picture from his pocket and thrusted it at her.

HAPPY HOUR'S LIKE A HOLIDAY

HANGING WITH YOU'S LIKE GETTING AWAY

Drinking was how Kristina dealt with her problems. She could have fun, let loose, sing and dance and just be free. She could be numb to her problems, and  pretend she didn't have any. It wasn't always that easy for others. Not everyone could get a few shots down the gullet and be free as a bird by happy hour, but she could. Some people needed to talk it out or scream it out or screw it out. Hell, sometimes she was a screw it out person, but she wasn't much of a vocal stress relief type of gal. Nope. She would stick to the drinking and screwing, thank you very much. But she knew that JD wasn't like her in that way. He would drink with her, and she loved that about him, but when he had an issue he would talk it out. She didn't mind it. He was her friend, and she wanted the best for him. If he needed her to lend her ears she would, no questions asked. But no one can blame her for ALSO buying him a drink, because... Hey! That's how she deals with shit.

She felt for the bloke. As long as she had known him he had been single and caught up on Jessie. She figured such a life would be quite lonely. And to find out that she was moving on, way on? Enough to get married? After he had asked and been told no? It must be heartbreaking. She knew it was heartbreaking. How else would someone as lovely as JD be brought down in such a devastating way. He was so chipper most days, but when Jessie hit him, she could tell. She was like a wrecking ball, and no matter how he tried to build himself back up she would still have him crashing down again. 

"Should we crash it?" Kris smiled mischievously. She was trying to make him smile more so than she was being serious, but if he wanted to she would go right along! "Hopefully she'll have an open bar. We'll get drunk on her dime, tell her how we really feel and make out on her head table!" The bartender snorted at her comment, smiling as he dried off a few mugs. She knew that humor might not be what JD wanted, but damn it, it was all she had today. Work had wound her up, and she had been full of piss and vinegar since noon! JD thrust the photo at her and she studied it, giving his back a little pat as she did so. It must have been hard knowing that. That the person you loved, the person you lived with was possibly unfaithful. "I'm sorry, JD, babe. You know what, I've got next round too." Kris smiled, downing the remainder of her beer. 

He didn’t drink. He didn’t let his emotions get the best of him and there were many sound reasons for that. He had sound reasoning for almost everything that he did, or he tried to. He wasn’t one of those people that just went about his life and didn’t think. If anything, JD over thought things, well, almost everything. It was an upside and a downside, because it meant so many things in his life was over done, or he let things go because he thought about it too much and never acted. Maybe that was why she left, because he put too much thought into the proposal, because he was too gentle and too sweet to her. Maybe he wasn’t good enough, or maybe he was too good.

Times like this made him want to bash his own head against the wall. It made him wish that he could just forget her, forget the ten years they had had together and how they were the happiest of his life, but he knew that he was better off without her. She was his weakness, love was his weakness. He wanted the happy ending, the romance, the fairytale. Did many think that he was crazy for it? Yes, they did. Did he rightly care? Not at all. He only wanted to make someone happy for the rest of his life, he only wanted to have the happy ending that his mother had told him that he would have when he was younger. But here he was, forty and doomed to spend the rest of his life alone.

”No, I doubt I will even go. I mean what would be the point? She’s obviously happier now then I could ever make her. Maybe she did me a favor, or maybe I did her a favor in letting her go. “ He ate a peanut and tossed the shells in the bowl and ran a hand into his long hair. ”If I really wanted to piss her off, we could show up in unicorn onsies and ruin the ceremony. That would be revenge. Plus seeing if that eldest kid looks like me….”

He shook his head. ”No. It’s on me. Least I can do for you putting up with Rawr JD. Rare beast that it is.” He said before tossing two Galleons at the bartender and smirking when they caught it easily.

HAPPY HOUR'S LIKE A HOLIDAY

HANGING WITH YOU'S LIKE GETTING AWAY

Kristina's grandparents had been the only real relationship she had ever known. Her mother never had any sort of serious relationship after she had been born. There had been a few blokes who poked around the house a time or two when Kristina had been home during summer breaks at Hogwarts but otherwise her mother had lived a life of mostly solitude. And Kristina had never been in any relationships, well, none that held any baring. There were a few that she had considered getting serious with but that was as far as that went. Considerationville and then took the train right to dump city. She had always liked the idea of settling down and starting a family but actually settling down was...well, it wasn't in her cards. Not now anyway! Not with the craziness she was living in.

It was hard for her to fully understand what JD was going through. He had been in a relationship, a serious one, and when he went to further the seriousness of it she had been the one to put him on that damn dump city train. It had to be hard to deal with, it had to be! Kristina couldn't fathom the sorrow it must have brought to believe one thing, to be so in love with one person, and for the very next minute have it dashed all to bits. Especially now, she couldn't wrap her head around it. Her life now consisted of hardly-relationships and barely-knew-ya's. To even think of having someone stomp on her heart the way Jesse had stomped on his was unimaginable.

Still, she tried to be there for her friend. Offering all that she could which basically consisted of half-assed humor and paying for drinks. "What would the point be?" Kris snorted a laugh, "Well to show her how dashing you are, love! Let that girl see what she's missing now. I doubt she could do better than you, babe, you are an absolute treat-- and no' just because ya make 'em." Kristina patted his arm knowing full well her compliments wouldn't mean a damn thing if he didn't believe them himself. "...I do think we'd make quite the sexy unicorns, I must say. How old is the eldest? I mean, could he be yours, babe?"

"Well, y'kin I don't pass up a free drink but I will be buying you more tonight! And don't ye think for a minute that I'll be leaving here without turning Rawr JR into Rum JD, not on my watch." She gave him a little wink, knocking on the wooden bar top for good measure. 

@jd

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