A Tale of Two Bars

ONE SHOT CHALLENGE with Vala 411

Base a story on your favourite 'old' song.

Rules:

1; Min 4000 words

2: Must include Rufflegs alongside Hiccstrid

3: Must include one line directly taken from the song

4: Due by end of month (Feb 2019)

Choice= Little ole' wine drinker me by Dean Martin

A/N: When I received this challenge, I hadn't realised what would happen. I love the Dean Martin classic...and who else was ever going to be the 'fool in the corner, crying' except Hiccup? So how did we get there-and how do we get out of it? Enjoy.

oOo

The same guy was sitting slumped in the corner for the fourth day in a row, a bottle uncorked and a glass nursed in his hands. A picture was resting on the table in front of him and every so long he would sit back and close his eyes, looking unutterably sad.

Raquel 'Ruffnut' Thorston leaned on the bar, her eyes trailing over the guy. He wasn't her type but there was something about him that drew the eye. He was tall and skinny, his dark auburn hair choppily cut and framing a sharp-jawed face with stunning green eyes and a few faded freckles. Scruff darkened the line of his jaw and he looked exhausted and unkempt. He had quietly occupied the table at opening yesterday and the two days before, stayed until closing and then had ambled in precisely three minutes after opening, gathering a bottle of vino and proceeding to get drunk. She glanced around: there were only a couple of others in 'Thorstonton Bar' at this time in the afternoon, regulars who were practically part of the furniture. Mulch, Bucket, Sven and Lars were guys who had come with the bar when Raquel and her brother, Tommy, bought it from the previous owner and they had hung around since. All of them were older guys who seemed to work intermittently, had known each other forever and were part of the family.

Wiping the bar over again, Ruffnut glanced over at the sad guy and sighed. Her brother was out back unloading the delivery and it was the quiet part of the day. She should be able to get a few minutes off-but she felt the strongest urge to go and talk to the stranger. Flicking her long thick blonde braids off her long face, Ruffnut grabbed a fresh bottle of wine and walked to the table.

"Hey," she said as she stopped by him and he peered myopically up at her.

"Hey." His voice was light and slightly nasal. "Are you the guy from the bar?" She huffed obviously.

"I'm a girl, doofus," she snapped. He sagged.

"Sorry-I'm not wearing my reading glasses," he mumbled, taking another gulp from his glass. Instinctively, she reached out and rested a hand on his.

"Slow down, tiger," she advised him. "You'll pass out of you carry on like this." His face brightened slightly and she felt her heart flutter a little: he was cute but still not her type.

"Just what I was hoping for," he said and emptied his glass.

"You know I'm not supposed to sell you alcohol when you're already drunk," she reminded him and he frowned, as if thinking.

"Could I buy six bottles of wine now while I'm still sober?" he asked her with a triumphant smile.

"Nope. Sorry. Already drunk," she told him. He pouted.

"Aww. Pleeeease?" He was looking pleadingly at her with those stunning green eyes and she reluctantly shook her head, though she was smiling.

"Y'know, I'm a great listener," she told him as she slid into the seat opposite and he sighed.