Technicolor Beat

Technicolor

This was not edited at all. I'm tired and sore. Goodnight.
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I watch him from across the bar, his finger tracing the rim of his drink as he sighs before checking his watch again. I don't have the heart to tell him we closed half an hour ago, not when he's been nursing that glass of beer for two hours. Its flat now, but I don't think he cares. He takes another deep breath and lies his head on the counter, where I've failed to wipe down. In fact, the area I have been cleaning is spotless, and I can see myself in the granite.

The whole building has been taken care of, the seats are up and the floor has been swept, the dishes are done and I've already got my things together, ready to go home, however as much as I want to head to my small flat and make pancakes for dinner as I dance with my dogs, I can't seem to tell this man he has to go.

I don't know why.

I wipe my hands with the dishcloth I've held for awhile now, deciding I have to take action and do something. Mustering up what little courage I have in me, I man-up and, straightening my shirt, I pull a seat down from next him and sit on the barstool, making him jump as he takes me in, as well as the rest of the bar. I watch as the realisation hits him, and he huffs, melancholy lacing his breath. "I'm sorry," He sighs. I shrug, a subtle and faint smile gracing my lips as I face the bar,"Its only the second time."

"Third."

"Third," I agree, turning my head in his direction as I lean my arms on the counter-top. "May I ask why someone like you is sitting alone in a bar closed to the public and talking to the sleep-deprived maintenance man?"

He shakes his head slightly and grins, both of his hands on the glass he's staring at,"To be honest, I don't even know. You would think I'd have learned by now."

"Learned what? The bar's hours? Nah, don't worry about it, man. Its always open for you." Real smooth.

He looks up at me for the first time," Have you kept the bar open everytime I come here with my problems?"

"Yes," I reply.

"I-Thank you... whoever you are."

I grin,"Tyler. You always leave sooner or later, and when you finally notice everyones gone you look around confused and its kinda cute, to be honest. Plus, you tend to leave a apology tip thats way too much to be legal."

He shakes his head again and looks back down at his beer, but doesn't say anything. I turn my head to face the opposite direction, trying to keep the red on my face undetected. "I, um... I know this isn't any of my business, but... why-why do you always leave here looking so beside yourself? Why do you look so fucking depressed?"

He laughs for the first time, and I can feel my heart being torn to shreds inside me. This godly man is going to be the death of me, I can already tell.

"You really want to hear my story?"

"I get over-time for this, so yes, however if you would shorten it down just a little, we could both go home tonight."

He grins and takes a sip of his beer,"Okay, I see, just using me for work hours."

I shrug,"The days have been rough lately." He nods,"I can agree with that. To shorten it, I guess, I-um...I'm not having the best of luck at the moment."

I turn to face him, and he continues,"My partner, he's not... I can't-"

I set my hand on his arm and he gives me a soft smile, a real one. "I was supposed to meet my boyfriend here... I, um-He's bailed on me over and over again for about a week now."

"Saturday? And yesterday too, I assume?"

He nods, setting down his drink,"Maybe... maybe I should just tell him I know, right?"

"Know what? Um...?"

"Jonathan," he sighs, running his hands through his hair. "I, well-I went to visit him last night... I just, I wanted to know, okay? And, I mean..."

He wipes at his eyes, and takes the hand I offer him and stares at me,"I don't know what I did wrong this time, Tyler. I gave him everything I had, I would've fucking killed for him."

"He didn't," I mumble, and Jonathan bites his lip and shakes his head sadly. He's broken, blaming himself for his partner's issues. "Hey, hey, you didn't do anything, okay? Maybe he couldn't handle just how fucking perfect you are, your skin, your lips, your goddamn voice, its like two gods fucked eachother and you popped out nine months later, or however long it takes for gods to develop..."

He can't stop his smile, and Jonathan lets out a shaky laugh,"I... she was beautiful, Tyler. I know why he did it, I just... she was wrapped up in the blanket I gave him, y'know? He kissed her while telling her stupid pick-up lines I told him. It just, it hurts. I wish I never fucking walked into his house."

"Jon-"

"He had our song playing when they cuddled. We... we built our whole relationship on that song. We met right here, in this fucking spot, and I don't even know why I asked him to come tonight. I'm never going to listen to that song ever again."

He closes his eyes and begins to shake, finally breaking down. I squeeze his hand and he responds with one, and we sit there, in the spot his last relationship began and hopefully ended, for minutes upon minutes. I stand, finally deciding to take action and he watches as I pull my phone out of my pocket, messing with it for a few moments before setting it on the counter and bowing in front of Jonathan.

"Tyler... what the hell are you...?"

Embarrassing myself had never been so hard before, I swear. "Sir Jon, I am your replacement dance partner, as the dick that is your boyfriend could not make it this fine evening." I offer him my hand once again and he hesitates at taking it.

"It's four in the morning," he mutters. I shrug,"Its evening somewhere."

I tap my phone's screen once more as he gently takes my hand, and the music begins to fill the bar, the beat acting like a current that dragged us with it, and made us move our hands and our feet to the rhythm of something we couldn't see, something intangible, yet there.

We danced like every star in the sky had been extinguished like an old, burning candle, and the only light we had was each other. Our movement was slow and sweet, yet the grip on the other tight, as if one of us let go, they would fall between our fingers. The music would change, yet we still danced, because neither of us could stop.

It was like I was in another world, one where everything was okay, I wasn't late on my truck payment and I hadn't ran out of cereal this morning.

His head on my shoulder and hands in mine were the only things I could think about. "You're... a great person, Tyler. I wish we would've met sooner."

I only nodded, swaying to the smooth jazz that played,"Yeah. You would've loved my hairstyle in highschool."

He grins against my neck and I can't help my own. "It's been awhile, Jon. I think you have to let go of me so I can feed my dogs."

"I don't want to," he mutters quietly into my shoulder, making me shiver before he lets me free slowly. "I... thank you, Tyler. You're amazing."

"Don't worry about it," I say softly, smiling gingerly. My hands are still in his until he finally lets go, and I'm allowed to retrieve my phone and the rest of my things in an un-urgent fashion, as does he. Quietly, I lock up behind him when we exit the bar, and I turn to him when we reach his car.

"Goodnight, Jonathan. Have a wonderful night."

"I already have," he answers, and gives me a short hug before popping open his car door. Before he can get in, my mouth overrides my brain,"Would you... like to come dog my see?"

"I-what?" He's giggling as I blush. "See my dogs," I correct. "Is that an analogy?"

I shake my head and can't help the laughs that escape from my lips,"No, no, I swear!"

He smiles cheekily at me,"Are you inviting me to your house so I can meet your pets?"

"Yes."

He laughs,"I'm in."