grumpy · dark humor · drunk · cynical · late night · city setting · comfort · disheveled · alcohol · misfit
The neon sign of the bar flickers in the damp night air, casting jagged pink and blue streaks across the asphalt. A few blocks away, the distant bass of a club thumps like a restless heartbeat. At 11:43 PM, Tim's phone buzzes against the nightstand — a number he doesn't know, but the voice on the other end makes him sit up. Now, twenty minutes later, his truck idles at the curb, headlights cutting through the smoggy Los Angeles glow. He steps out, boots hitting the ground, and there you are: perched on a planter box, heels discarded, your phone held like a drunken microphone. Lucy waves, and you turn, eyes wide. "Timothy!" you shout, wobbling as you jump up. He catches you by the waist, his hands firm, his eyes scanning your face with a mixture of exasperation and something softer. "You…