A Bartender in Charming

Chapter 4: No Sleep Tonight

Author's note: So this one includes a bit of Chibs perspective written in the third person. Everything is headed accordingly.

Lily:
I spent the day making boat-loads of coffee for the sons of anarchy.
"More like Sons of Caffeine," I had joked to Juice, who I knew would laugh at even the most terrible joke I told. Then, they all got a tip on the girl's location and I got to watch them tear out of the Teller-Morrow driveway on their bikes, the thunderous sound shaking the clubhouse.
     By the time night fell, I had made enough girly drinks for all the old ladies and the crow eaters to last me a life time. I decided to call it a night at eleven. I found Chibs' room easily with the help of a crow-eater that kept looking at me knowingly.
     "Chibby's lending you his room?" The skinny, busty blonde asked me, popping her gum.
     "Yeah... I just need somewhere to crash while this shit plays out." I said as matter-of-factly as I could. Still, she looked me over like a piece of meat before leading me to his room. She must think I'm sleeping with him, I realized. I frowned.
     "I'm not sleeping with him," I blurted out without thinking. The crow eater laughed.
     "Sure, sweetie. There's a bathroom next to the closet if you're gonna shower." She said with a grin, holding the door open for me.
     "Thanks," I rushed into the room quickly. Ugh. I wanted to melt into the floor. There was nothing particularly Chibs-like about this room. It was just decorated with the usual Sons of Anarchy paraphernalia the bikers were so fond of. Grim reapers graced every surface. The bed, however, was neatly made and the floor was clear of the usual junk food wrappers I had begun to recognize as carpeting in the last few weeks.
     Had he cleaned up for me? I checked the trash can next to the dresser, and—just like I had thought—it was stuffed full. He'd cleaned up for me. The thought made me smile to myself.
I really needed a shower and a change of clothes, but I was only getting one of those things tonight it seemed.
     I went to the bathroom and took a hot shower, rinsing the smell of cigarette smoke and booze from my hair. I used what I assumed was a clean towel and dried off. I held up the tank top I had been wearing before and smelled it. Not very nice. I was loath to put it back on after I'd just gotten clean. There had to be a t-shirt or something lying around in this ridiculous bachelor pad.
     I hunted the room, but he'd cleaned up thoroughly. Any clothes would be in the dresser. I debated opening it, not wanting to invade his privacy. But the thought of sleeping in my dirty clothes made me itch all over. Nope nope nope. I opened the drawer quickly. All the clothes had just been thrown inside. I grabbed a random t-shirt and gave it a sniff. Clean enough.
     I shook it out and almost laughed at what I saw: It had the Guinness logo plastered over the front.
     I shut the drawer, swearing to myself that I would get up early and return the t-shirt whence it came, and put it on. I climbed into bed and fell asleep quickly, the stress of the day seeming far away in this wood-paneled little haven.

Chibs:
The level of stupidity necessary to get everyone into this mess was staggering. The crow eaters knew better than to go flaunting their affiliation to the sons of anarchy at bars, and yet this one had gone and done just that. Of course she'd been taken.
     Chibs felt a little twinge of guilt thinking this way, but then the stiffness in his legs reminded him how long he'd been riding today searching for the chit. He could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket, so he pulled over to the side of the road. He flipped it open.
     "Aye?"
     "We found her," Jackie boy's voice told him, "But things got messy."
     "Was it Mayans? Or Niners?" He asked.
     "No, this was someone new. Head back to the clubhouse, I've got a feeling this isn't over yet." Jax said, concern coloring his voice.
     "Alright, brother. Be right there." Chibs assured him before hanging up. He revved his bike and made a U-turn back towards home.
    All Chibs felt once he got off his bike was tired. He hung his helmet on the handle bars and walked into the clubhouse. He got a good look at the crow eater that had been taken and immediately his earlier annoyance faded. She was banged up pretty good, poor thing, her usual chittering and flirtations gone as she sat on the couch wrapped in a blanket.
     "Hey, brother." Jax came up and embraced him quickly.
     "What do we do now, Jackie boy?" Chibs asked him.
     "Rest," Clay answered instead, his voice reverberating through the clubhouse. "We got her out quietly, it'll take 'em a day to regroup at the very least. This place is battened down tight so just go ahead and get some shut eye. Tomorrow we'll be ready for whatever their next move is."
     Chibs nodded. Rest sounded good, though Jax still looked worried.
     "Relax, Jackie boy," Chibs assured him. "This isn't the first time things have gotten messy over some gash."
     Jax nodded, sighing. "I'll see you tomorrow in the morning then."
     Chibs shuffled off to his room, ready to knock out the second his body hit the bed. He opened the door and shut it again behind him. He didn't even bother to turn on the light as he took off his kutte and kicked off his boots. He was so fucking tired he'd sleep in his jeans tonight and shower in the morning. With that, he threw himself onto the bed.
     "What the hell?!" A feminine voice exclaimed from underneath him. He got off of her quickly.
     "What in the bloody- Lily?" He asked. In the dark he saw an arm reach towards the night stand and turn on the lamp.
     "Yes, it's Lily." The girl said exasperatedly. She sat up in the bed, her hair a mess and her eyes still heavy from sleep. She rubbed her face. Chibs stared at her.
     "What're you doing in here, lass?" He asked, surprise coloring his voice.
     She frowned up at him. "What am I- Chibs, you told me I could sleep here!"
     Chibs put his face to his palm. "Oh, shite, sorry, sweetheart. I forgot about that."
     "It's alright," She said. "Would you... like me to leave? You look exhausted."
     Chibs shook his head, though it cost him. All he had wanted to do was go to sleep in the comfort of his own bed.
     "I'll just go sleep on one of the couches," He said heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.
     Lily tilted her face and studied him.
     "That wasn't convincing at all, Filip," She stated. "Come here, sleep in your bed. I'll stay on my side; you stay on yours."
     Chibs looked at her gratefully. "You sure, lass?"
     Lily settled into the bed again, pulling the covers up to her chin. "Mm-hm, it's not a problem."
     Chibs laid down carefully on top of the covers. Lily reached up again to turn off the light. As darkness fell again over the room, they both lay in silence.
     "Lily..." Chibs interrupted the lull.
     "Yes?" She answered.
     "Are ye wearing my Guinness festival of beer shirt?" He asked, glancing over at her.
     Lily laughed and wiggled farther under the blanket, even though she was sure he couldn't see her.
"Yeah... sorry, I was planning on putting it back before you got here."
     "No, no it's fine. Suits you," He said, chuckling.
     "Actually," Lily said, just as silence had begun to overtake them again. "How possible would it be for me to go to my place tomorrow and pick up some clothes?"
     "I can take you, lass. Don't worry," Chibs assured her.
     Lily turned over onto her side.
     "Alright," She said softly.