Cheers

Chapter 8: Consolation Prizes

Daryl wanted his hat back and was so occupied with wondering how he could politely demand it from the man named Baltha that he initially didn't realize the personification of greek deity, who was standing in front of him, was speaking to him. Golden blonde hair, brown eyes so light they were almost gold, tanned skin and rippling with muscle, the man could probably walk into a room and have whatever his person of choice falling all over him.

"And how do you know Samantha?" His voice was like warm toffee sauce, almost unbearingly sweet to hear but not completely.

"I met her and Ferya here earlier..." So he was a friend of the rest of them, Daryl supposed it made sense. He stood out as much as they did but for different reasons. Either way, Daryl turned and started making his way back towards Lucien, offering a lopsided grin, "and you are?"

"Sarath." The man murmured the strange name absently, grinning to Daryl in a way that made him feel giddy.

"I've mainly just been drinking whiskey here with Lucien..." Daryl glanced up, nearly stopping in his tracks at the dark look the man in question was giving the two of them.

Sarath stilled as well, frowning as he saw the other man.

Ok.

So maybe these two weren't friends. How the hell was he supposed to know this? The air was charged for a moment, before Lucien seemed to come to a decision and glance directly at him, "have you decided?"

"Decided?" Daryl was at a loss for what he was supposed to be deliberating about. The heat of the bar suddenly became noticeably sweltering and all he could decide was that he wanted fresh air, immediately.

"Yes. Whether or not you are done with me." Lucien chuckled softly, his smile breaking apart the dark look he had been giving Sarath moments before. "You don't look well, Daryl."

"It's boiling in here." He muttered and turned, stalking across the bar and stepping out through the doors onto the patio, thankful that it was close enough to fall that he was hit by a cool breeze. Or, it was cooler than it had been inside. The world spun for a moment and he leaned against the wall, frowning as his eyes focused on Chase, who was glaring at him from across the patio.

His head began to clear as he cooled down and after a few moments, Lucien stepped outside and moved to stand in front of him, cutting off the glaring contest he was having with the cocky bull rider. "It isn't much cooler out here, cowboy."

Daryl offered him a weak smile, shaking his head. "It feels loads cooler. But I think it might have just been fresh air I needed."

"You felt the heat?" Lucien watched him curiously, before shaking his head, as if the question was not important. "You are surprisingly perceptive. I'm assuming you picked up on the tension between Sarath and I."

"That too." Daryl ran his hand through his hair, straightening up to look at him. "I didn't realize. He just started talking to me..."

"You could have either one of us tonight, I believe." Lucien grinned to him, glancing back towards the door, "and not just because of his competitiveness..."

Daryl felt his mouth go dry, flushing and glancing up at the sky, frowning at how dark it seemed in the city just then. "I've.... Look, I'm incredibly attracted to you, but I've never been with another man before. I don't even remember being attracted to another man like this."

"And you are unsure." Lucien was unfazed, though his eyes narrowed as Chase walked by with his arms around some woman's shoulders.

"Fags." Chase snorted as he continued onwards.

Lucien looked ready to murder the man and Daryl felt his own fury spur him into action. Whether or not he decided to imbibe in the whole experiment of the night, he knew that Lucien had probably faced similar judgement and derision countless times before. And the whiskey was talking, so was his fury from before, meaning he wasn't willing to let Lucien be subjected to that abuse.

"Ma'am, excuse me... but I need to talk to your companion." Daryl stepped between them and the door, waiting for the woman to take a step back from his target before growling. "Apologize, now."

"Fuck you." Chase rolled his eyes, "not only did you steal those two hot pieces from me, but then you turn out to be a cock-sucking..."

Daryl swung before the bull rider could finish, connecting with the man's jaw and sending him stumbling backwards into a couple tables. "I said fucking apologize for being a chauvinistic, bigoted asshole! "

Chase held up his hands in surrender as he struggled to stand straight but the moment Daryl relaxed, Chase threw a punch. The ensuing fight sent them both tumbling across the patio as they exchanged punches. It was quick, Daryl landing several blows as they rolled like schoolyard children.

Chase managed to land one good punch, before Daryl had him pinned to the ground.

"You need to learn to treat people with decency you spoiled little punk!" Daryl was pulling his hand back to clock the guy again when he felt himself restrained and hauled up off of the other cowboy.

As he was held, half suspended in the air, still half struggling as fury rippled through him, Samantha's tattooed lover hauled Chase to his feet by his throat and tossed him back several feet with one hand. Chase wasn't a small man, though Daryl told himself it must have been the alcohol that had the other cowboy stumbling up a good distance away from them, blood streaming from his nose.

"You're going to turn around and go to bed. And remember that whatever happened tonight, you deserved it." Timothy stalked forwards towards Chase until the man turned and veritably ran out of the patio area.

"You calm now, Daryl?" It was Baltha who was holding him there, and when he nodded he was dropped back down to his feet, the man ruffling his hair with a grin. "And here I thought you were all manners and spun sugar."

Timothy turned to give him a once over, before offering a nod and stalking back into the bar. After a moment of grinning, Baltha offered him a wink and tossed him his hat before following. Leaving him to turn to see Lucien standing there, an unreadable expression on his features.

"I'm sorry... I snapped..." Daryl glanced down to the hat in his hands, spinning it idly. "He was a dick to Sam and Ferya earlier... and then.... I don't give a shit about me... but..."

"You defended my honour?" Lucien's amusement was palpable through the air, drawing Daryl to look at the man, who had a smirk on his lips.

Daryl shrugged and looked away before he could be drawn back in by those eyes of Lucien's. "I know, dumb. But you don't need to face that..."

Lucien crossed the distance between them, placing a couple fingers on his jaw and turning him to look in his direction. "No. I am not laughing at you... it's just been a very long time since someone has done what you just did. I'm usually the one doing the fighting."

Daryl let out a slow breath, leaning into the man's hand and closing his eyes partially as he felt Lucien's fingers trace his features. He didn't know what to say to that, didn't know what to say to most of what had happened so far that night. He just found that touch incredibly intoxicating.

"Luce, quit playing with the man." Sarath, it seemed, had joined them and sounded a little upset about something.

"Mmm... am I playing with you, Daryl?" Lucien grinned to him, before glancing back to the other man.

Daryl let out a shuddering breath, shaking his head to clear it and looking between the two of them, his annoyance spiking. "You weren't. But I know enough about things to realize that you probably are now."

Both men just blinked at him, as if they hadn't expected him to respond at all, as if he wasn't actually part of the conversation.

Daryl scowled, their stunned expressions causing him to become increasingly incensed. "Yeah, I get it... play with the dumb hick cowboy, make my ex jealous. Bravo. Fuck both of you."

He put his hat back on and, seeing as how Sarath was standing in his way to get in the door to walk through the bar, he turned and left out the patio's stone entrance, onto the street.