Lightbringer | Kai Parker Fanfic

Eleven

McKinley, Virginia – December 2012

"Andy, what are you doing behind the bar? It's not your shift."

I look up to see Dominic walking up my way. He always looks stern and preoccupied though he can be very soft and caring when he senses that we need it; that's why staff members call him 'Mominic' behind his back, which I approve.

"Liv asked me to fill in for her this afternoon, and she'll come tonight instead. We swapped."

He shakes his head and runs his hand through his white, short hair, already heading toward his office.

"Wonder why I bother editing schedules..." I hear him mumble. Clarke and I share a fond smile and he gently claps the counter.

"Alright, Andy, I'm leaving you in charge. Don't burn the house while I'm away."

"Duly noted," I nod.

Clarke flashes me a grin and leaves. I grab a tray and go around the hall, disposing of empty glasses and swiping tables. It is rather calm this afternoon and I'm glad Liv and I traded shifts. The Scull is hosting this huge pre-Christmas party tonight and I so don't want to be working here when all the drunk people come and do crazy-stupid stuff. I want to be among the drunk people.

I sigh and try not to think about it. I still haven't answered Eric's text; he wants us to go together. I know him, though. If I accept, he'll turn this into a date and I don't want to fight over that, not again. But then, Steven's also asked me out. He is so much more understanding than Eric when it comes to our friends-with-benefits relationship. I shake my head: I don't really want to go with any of them tonight. Luke won't even be there; he's out of town for the weekend with his new boyfriend, the radiologist. I'll be on my own, I might as well meet new people.

Hours go by and I'm nearly done. As I keep cleaning glasses, thinking about this new red dress I'll be wearing tonight, my eye catches the glimmer of a Light. A witch Light, definitely. Different from what I've seen before – not really bleak but not really there either; fluctuating, I would say. Nonetheless, I would recognize a Gemini Light pretty much anywhere and it seems like one of them just entered the bar.

The fact that Luke told me quite early on that this could happen keeps me from freaking out, literally. It's actually a precious advantage that he gave me over his fellow coven member and I know it. I also value the fact that I won't have to spend so much time following him around in order to discover that he's only here to watch the twins until they come home for the merge. Thanks Luke.

I watch the guy walk up to me and sit up on a stool. "Hi, what can I get you?"

"Well, hi there... Andy," he says, reading it on my name tag, "I'll have a soda to keep me patient."

"Waiting for someone?"

"Yeah..." he trails off, looking around. "Kind of a family reunion. Can't wait."

I smile and hand him his drink. He doesn't seem as stern and closed-minded as Luke makes his coven sound like; he looks friendly and I feel like telling him 'Hey, you missed Liv but she'll be back in a couple hours.' But I know I can't really do that. In an ideal world, where Lightbringers and Witches would all be buddies, I could do that. He would smile and thank me for letting him know; then we would probably start chatting about why his Light looks like that and we would share a knowing glance when a regular customer would order a drink. The link of secrecy.

However, I am very lucid about the current state of things. Luke and I have talked about it multiple times: it won't be done in a day. I don't know, maybe our kids or our grandkids will be allowed to be friends out in the open. That'd be cool.