You Showed Me Love

Hard Rock and Hard Drinks

"When you said we were grabbing a bite, this is not what I was expecting." Veneer had to shout over all the noise in order for me to hear him at all. Watching him take in his surroundings was like watching a bunny in a bullfight. He did not fit in with the rest of the pub whatsoever. It was filled with rock trolls fighting each other, some passed out on the bar, and some minding their business watching tv on the dozens of screens across the room while he stood there awkwardly.

"Were you expecting something fancy? We only have bars and pubs out here." I turned around so I wasn't facing him anymore and rolled my eyes. Being king probably meant he's used to these elegant meals everyday in glamorous restaurants that no one other than royalty could afford. I sat down on a stool in the center of the bar and double tapped the stool next to me to let Veneer know that was his seat.

"Really? I never knew that." Veneer placed himself down onto the stool and the bartender came over to us while wiping down a glass and.

"What can I get ya' guys?" I know the menu so may as well order for Veneer too,

"I'll have a Bloody Mary and he'll have a Virgin Mary" Right as the bartender was about to start making the drinks, Veneer quickly turned down my order with his.

"Nope. Tequila sunrise and then a shot." He sent a glare in my direction and honestly, I'm surprised. Thought that someone like him wouldn't be much of a drinker but he's proved me wrong.

When we both got our drinks, Veneer quickly downed the shot and drank half of his tequila sunrise. My eyes were slightly widened as I watched the display next to me.

"What, hard day?" He looked in my direction and sighed, asking the bartender for another shot.

"Not really, I just never get chances to do stuff like this." Okay, that's a valid response. I've spent three days a week in this pub for almost five months now because I have nothing better to do, so this is the normal for me. I forget that Volcano Rock City is the only place where you can live this kind of lifestyle. As Veneer downed his second shot, he ordered a third and threw that one back too.

"Geez, you are quite the drinker." The bartender came back and took our empty glasses before Veneer spun around in his stool so he was now facing me.

"Sooo, do you do anything other than rock music?" I mentally went to page one of my notes on him because this was the perfect time to lure him in.

"I like drawing random stuff, does that count?" His face was lighting up when I said that and he was quick to respond.

"Ooo, me too. Show me show me!" Veneer reached over the bar and grabbed a pen and napkin that were on a table and placed them in front of me. Shit, I don't draw. Veneer was resting his chin against both his palms while swinging his legs waiting for me to start drawing. I picked up the pen and did a crappy doodle of how Veneer was sitting.

"I don't work great under pressure, so this is what you get." He ripped the napkin out of my hands and stared at it with a massive smile on his face.

"Oh my gosh, I am keeping this forever!" While he giggled looking at the drawing, I swear I could feel my chest tightening. I called the bartender over and decided to order my first shot of the night to hopefully get rid of this lingering feeling.

Veneer folded up the napkin and placed it in his pocket while I drank my tequila shot. Right as he was about to start talking to me again, a group of male rock trolls all wearing the same black leather jacket, came up to us with the one at the front grabbing Veneer's shoulder and turning him around

"And what's a blue blood like this doing here?" Crap, these guys are bounty hunters. Seeing royalty out in the open is probably a jackpot for them. Veneer was refusing to make eye contact with any of them because he probably felt awkward. One of them started fidgeting with his crown and took it off his head.

"Hey! Give that back!" Veneer was reaching out for his crown while one of the bounty hunters was holding above his head. I slammed my glass down against the bar top and got off the stool to intervene. That was until Veneer threw a punch directly into the main guy's face.

"What the fuck!? That hurt!" He was about to throw a punch back at Veneer when I quickly pulled him by the arm to make sure he wouldn't get mauled by this guy.

"Nope! Goodbye!" I was now bear hugging Veneer to get him out of there because I know how rock trolls can be when they're drunk and looking for a fight. I learned my lesson once and never again.

"Put me down! I need my crown back!" I pushed the back door open and placed Veneer on the ground while he was fighting to try and get back inside.

"I need my crown!" My hands were put on his arms in a firm grip so I could hold him back and force him to face me.

"Those guys want to kill you, you're not going back in!" Veneer's arms crossed and he looked to the side with a pout.

"But my crown..." I stared at him for a second feeling a sliver of guilt and let out a loud groan before dropping my hands off his arms.

"Fine, stay here." I went back into the bar and approached the group of bounty hunters. The one who took the crown was slipping it into a bag and I quickly stopped them.

"Hey! I have a proposition." Their 'leader' looked in my direction and crossed his arms with a raised brow.

"You give me the crown, and I buy your drinks for the rest of the year." He smirked and grabbed the crown out of the bag, tossing it over to me. Thank god, I really thought they wouldn't agree to that. I grabbed a bunch of cash out of my pocket to pay for mine and Veneer's drinks and an extra $150 to pay for theirs before walking back out.

Veneer still sat there but now with a bucket next to him filled with puke. When he saw the crown in my hand, he shot off the ground with a huge smile spread across his face.

"You got it! Thank you thank you thank you!" He stopped jumping up and down so I took the crown and placed it on top of his head.

"There. Now I need to get you back to your sister." We left her and Val in the dressing room at the venue, so I took a few steps in the direction we needed to go before I felt Veneer's hand grab mine. That same fluttery chest pain from before came back when he started skipping.

Either he's always like this or he's drunk out of his mind.