REVENGE (2nd book of FEAR)

- chapter fourteen -

The girl brushed past Locus to sit on the nearest bar stool. She waved at the bartender, a middle-aged man who winked every time he smiled. His brown hair was beginning to get streaks of grey on the sides.

"I can't remember the last time someone as gorgeous as you walked into this saloon," the bartender licked his bottom lip, his eyes traveling up and down her body before she takes her seat. Locus leaned against the bar with his back to the man, pretending not to listen.

Liz glanced at the mercenary before giggling shyly and shaking her head, "You're too kind. Do you have any bourbon?" Locus almost laughed at the sound of her drink request. The bartender's eyebrow raised in surprise, "Of course. Anything for you."

When the man bent over to get the glass bottle of alcohol from the bar below, she took the opportunity to roll her eyes. Locus turned his head so that she wouldn't see his smirk.

The bartender returned with a short glass of bourbon, and Liz immediately threw her head back and downed it. Locus almost laughed again. The bartender chuckled lustfully, "Man, I'd like to see what else you can do."

Upon seeing Liz shift uncomfortably in her seat, Locus turned around and showed her a smirk. "Would you like to dance?" His eyes widened for a split second, telling her that it was an escape. Liz almost looked surprised, pausing a few moments before taking his arm, "Yeah, that'd be great!"

As the two trudged into the dance floor, Liz whispered into his ear, "I owe you one." Locus tried to hide his small smile. "I don't mean to disappoint you," he had to scream over the music, "But, I'm not the best club dancer."

"It's not like you have much competition," she yelled back, motioning with her arms at all of the drunk people on the dance floor. Their movements looked robotic, impulsive, and sloppy all at the same time. The mercenary laughed.

Liz began to sway her hips with the beat, her arms raised above her head. Locus tried not to stare and kept his focus on snapping his fingers. The girl closed her eyes, beginning to get lost in the sound of the music.

Locus couldn't help but be envious yet awestruck.

She was so gracious, so peaceful. He wondered how she blocked out the feeling of her heart vibrating with the beat of the music, or the ringing sound in her ears from the volume. Or, maybe she wasn't ignoring it. She was embracing it.

Locus realized that he was literally the embodiment of an old man.

Suddenly, the fast and upbeat music gets interrupted by the slow and soft tune of a melody. Locus smiled at the eased tension on his brain, and Liz opened her eyes in surprise.

"I don't mean to disappoint you," she laughed with insecurity, "But, I'm not the best slow dancer." Locus grinned slightly, taking a step closer to her, "It's not like you have much competition." Liz looked to the ground in an attempt to hide her radiating red cheeks.

The mercenary reached for her dangling hand, and she met him half way. He exhaled a breath that he didn't know he was holding. Liz finally lifted her chin, her smile vanished and replaced with pursed lips. She was nervous, which made Locus even more confident.

He guided her shaking hands to his neck, and his grip secured around her waist. He heard her gulp before taking another step closer. Locus rested his chin against her cheek, his lips brushing against her ear. He felt her shiver.

"Someone's nervous," he chuckled lowly, earning another shiver from the girl. Liz snapped back playfully, "Watch it, pal."

Locus smirked as he pressed one of his hands against the small of her back. He noticed her flinch slightly, and he realized that her bandage was removed. Her shoulder had scabbed over from the bullet wounds, but sometimes her harsh movements would cause it to throb.

Suddenly, someone bumps into Liz and smothers her closer to the mercenary's chest. It was a drunk man, Locus assumed, based on his glazed eyes and his struggle to stand straight. The stranger catches sight of Liz and breaks into a grin.

"Where are you from, little lady?" he slurs, "Don't remember you." Liz furrows her brow at the man, trying to understand his words. His hand reaches for her waist, but Locus whips out his arm and shoves the guy roughly away.

"Don't touch her," the mercenary grins and winks at the drunk, keeping a carefree demeanor, but the warning in his eyes and voice makes the other man back off. He blinks at both of them, mumbles something under his breath, and staggers away with his friends.

"You better be careful," Liz hisses into his ear, "Last thing we need is a fight." Although her voice was stern, Locus could almost hear the smile laced in her tone. The soldier shrugged, "It'd be a pretty pathetic fight."

The girl rolled her eyes, "You sound so sure of yourself." He pulled away to look at her for a moment. "You're right..." Locus brought a hand to her cheek, and he smiled, "I am." He tugged on the back of her neck, bringing her face closer to his.

He felt her breath stop, and her mouth parted slightly. She brought a thumb up to his lips. "Locus," she whispered, her eyelids fluttering as she inched closer. He thought about the last time he had kissed her, in the storage closet of the Staff of Charon.

Suddenly, he flinched away from her. That was before he knew who she really was. That was before she left him to die. That was before she changed her hair, her eyes, her persona as if she wanted to start anew with him. That was before he hated her.

Locus wretched apart from Liz, practically pushing her into the crowd of dancers. She gasped before tripping backwards into a woman holding a pint of beer, sending the alcohol spilling over her hair and dress.

Locus was gone before the music stopped, before everyone shared pitiful and worrisome glances with Liz. He was running into the desert before he knew it, past the shops and far away from the girl who ruined his love, his trust, and his life...

oh shit they almost kissed. locus got some sense in him though. did you guys want them to kiss? did the dance go as you thought? what is locus going to do next? what will liz do? this chapter was one of my faves but the next one is my absolute favorite