Do I Know You? || James Marriott AU

5: Relive and Recharge

The bar lay lively, with chatter and music, just like any other bar that Will had been to with the lads, as he would always say like the millennial he was, while approaching the bar in his windswept state, heading toward the stools to settle on one of them and ducked his head down onto the smooth mahogany countertop and groaning with just all his endeavours he'd partaken in so far to get out, making him wear out quicker than a broken record.

"You good mate?" A voice asked, perking up as they would see Will groaning with his head down in somewhat sulk.

Will seemed to look up, and grunt before actually eliciting a reply, "Yeah.. just had a hard day today. Came here for a drink and to get my mind off of things."

The bartender nods, as if he felt what Will had felt all his way up here, before asking more, "What would you want to drink? Got some on tap or I can do you shots. You get cut off with five though, due to percentages."

Again a fed up hum with barely enough energy to even speak up responds toward the question, "I'll take a half pint of Carling and two shots of vodka."

The bartender listened to Will's request and he seethed sucking his teeth with a side look, "Mm, looks like we can't do that. Too much alcohol, especially if you're gonna be driving. Maybe I get you the Carling, we scrap the WKD for a day yeah?"

"Fine yeah, I can do without a shot or two.." Will agrees subtly, "But if I come back here, expect my face to be a regular if my life gets more wrapped up in stress, like my fucking face has."

The guy's eyes widened as he said in shock, "Oh shit.. are you alright? I didn't notice your face straight away, fully. You look wrecked up, someone must've beat you really hard." The bartender said half joking, and if it was coming out as satire, it was stiff.

"Yep. Especially when it's been a friend of five years. Makes it the cherry on top." Will stifled a laugh now, obviously sarcastic to the situation, yet the smile he feigned made it seem he was happy with that.

The bartender seemed to freeze, like he was stop-motion when Will came out with that so quickly, even if it was in sharp sentences. It was definitely some worry now, yet he didn't seem to note it, as the barman spoke, but attempting reassurance.

"If you need anything, you're free to come by and stay anytime. Trust me, us here in Brighton take anything worthy of crime seriously. Homophobia, transphobia, racism.. abuse. We care for all our people here."

Will seems to then look up like he was telling a joke, that was meant to be hilariously funny to him. "Absolute shite. Ya know this.. I get it. But I feel like my mate will kill me if he knows I'm here every time."

"What's this guy's name if you don't mind me asking? Don't give me full details, just brief one name done and dusted." The bartender asks softly while turned away to whip up a frothy concoction of Carling for Will's consumption.

"He fucking lives here, I can't just say it!" Will exclaimed, looking bewildered. "You think that's a good idea for me to blurt out his name?"

Will seemed to again sigh from his outburst, then looking around the crowded bar, and still hearing that tinny noise of nearby speakers crackling audio, but then recall of James' sobriety kept him slightly safer, so he'd look the guy in his eyes, and seemed to mutter it.

"Fine. His name's James. Moved here for his work in music industry." Will then claimed his ready poured up drink, with a nod.

"If you see any bloke that looks like music savvy, get a damn check on him." He took a downed swig of his drink to quench his thirst and drop the nerves, and even the bartender was shocked at Will's alcohol capacity.