Addicted

1

The boys eyes shifted as he pulled his hood down.  His dark hair was a sloppy mess and he frowned, intimidatingly.  He moved like a ghost, quiet and smooth, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket.  Squinted brown eyes darted around him suspiciously.  No one saw him slip into the building. 
He knew what he was missing.  A cool, clear night under the glimmering, romantic stars, the faint whiff of roses and mint, and the calmness of an almost empty street.  He loved these things.  Mint was his favorite smell.  But he was drawn to the thick, hot crowd that he hated so much, to the flashing lights that strived to blind him, and to the blasting music playing from all sides. 
The guard grunted and recognized him easily and he pulled his hood back on as he walked through the open door.  Sucking in his breath and staying to the sides, the boy slunk to the bar on the other side of the room and kept his head down, sliding into a chair and tapping his fingers on the table.  Any moment now...

"How can I help you?" The blonde bartender asked, weariness evident in his tone.  He tried for a smile, but he was betrayed by his feelings and his eyes dropped.  An image of a cool, clear night flickered like the illusion of an oasis in his mind.  The smell of mint and roses drifted by again as the door quickly opened and closed, torturing him with the idea of freedom.  Running his fingers through his curls of hair, he sighed.  He had been working long shifts since he started, barely having time to sleep.  He needed a break.  "Something strong." The shadowed regular in front of him muttered, their eyes not meeting.  This costumer was an addict, he figured. He was here almost every night, always asking for a drink, but he never went out and danced.  He nodded and mixed him a drink, placing it onto the counter and let a tired groan slip between his lips.  He turned around to put the bottle back. 

Quietly, the hooded boy smiled as he looked at the bartender with fresh, loving eyes.  His eyelashes fluttered, his mind lost.  He didn't drink whatever was in his glass.  He never did.  He simply stirred it around, contentedly watching the blonde work in front of him.  The bartender turned back around, and his dark eyes dropped.  He wouldn't be caught dead smiling at him.
And that was that.