We met at a Bar - A Lucas and Strade story

The kid at the bar - Chapter 1

Lucas grumbled into his pillow. It had been nearly 7 weeks since he had began college, yet it felt more like 7 years, and he wanted nothing to do with it. Not to mention, the overwhelming loneliness he had endured for those weeks. He had struggled with making friends, and had virtually no time for anything other than his studies.

Lucas sat up, his short blonde hair getting into his eyes as he picked up three adverts for three different locations, all located fairly close to him. He looked at each one closely, and decided the one best suited to help him temporarily forget about him problems was The Braying Mule. It was a fairly quaint bar that prided itself on being the friendliest bar. One of the biggest things Lucas needed right now was for someone to be friendly to him.

Throwing on an old hoodie and some beaten up shoes, Lucas ran a hand through his hair. 'Fuck, I need a haircut.' He made a mental note to visit his aunt's hair cutting establishment as he stepped outside his small apartment, and locked the door.

Lucas stepped inside The Braying Mule, a smell of Maple and cheap beer flooded his senses. He shook his head, realizing he had been standing there for quite some time just taking in the scenery. There was an obvious Canadian theme going on, as told by many pictures of Maple leaves and Canadian Flags hung up in various locations.

Looking for a place to sit, Lucas accidentally bumped into a taller man who was preoccupied with making small talk with the bartender.

"Ack! S-sorry man!" He quickly stuttered out and pulled his hood over his head. Although the man he bumped into didn't even seem to notice, he still felt incredibly embarrassed.

Lucas sat down in a small booth seat, in the corner and away from everyone else. His hands in his lap and looking down so that his hair fell into his face.

"Hey there Buddy!"

Lucas's ears perked at the very friendly tone he heard only a couple feet away. He looked up and pushed some of his hair out of the way. He forced his eyes to meet the gaze of a slightly shorter than average man with greasy brown hair and golden eyes that stared directly into his soul. As well as a scar on the left side of his chin. Lucas stared for a while at the admittedly very attractive man. Although, it did come off very eerie to Lucas, that the stranger seemed to have a smile that calmed him but could very well chill him to his very cheesy core.

"Hm? Like what you see buddy?" The stranger mused and chuckled at the end as he sat into the booth across from him.

"Ah! I'm sorry. It's just...I..." Lucas searched for excuses but to no avail. Defeated, he looked away again, blush very evident on his pale face. 'Great. Way to go. I probably fucked up here and this dude probably thinks I'm weird.' He thought to himself, pulling his hood over his face.

"Hehe~ Bezaubernd~" The stranger whispered as he set a pint of beer in front of the flustered boy. "Anyways, I'm Strade. What's your name?"

"....Lucas." the blonde boy briefly answered and looked to the side, eyes burning holes into the floor. Part of why he was so brief with his answer was how off putting Strade's vibe was. Yes, it was also because being approached by a greasy enthusiastic German man would make the average person a dash flustered. And Lucas was an average person....At least I think so.

"No need to be shy buddy! I don't bite." Strade joked, resting his chin on his right hand. His elbow propped up on the table, smiling as if he had just gotten reunited with an old friend that he hadn't seen for years. "You have a very nice name there~ It'd be a shame if anything were to happen to it~"

Lucas suddenly looked back at Strade, just about to question what he meant by that until he saw Strade scribbling his name onto a piece of paper with a fat orange crayon. The blonde was questioning exactly what was going to happen now that his name had been crudely printed on a wrinkly piece of dead tree, but his questioning would be short lived as he saw the greasy brunette crumple up the parchment into a ball and shove it into his mouth. Still smiling, Strade looked right into Lucas's eyes, seemingly carving deep into his soul, his gaze was so sharp that it was almost painful to maintain eye contact with him. Yet Lucas keep looking into the golden irises of Strade as he watched him chew up his name. Strade held a rather large smile, the one you would typically see on a small child when they did something that impressed their parents. The happy, enthusiastic grin. A grin of sorts that you would always see on him....back in his childhood...and now, into adulthood.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of this going on, in reality it was probably only five minutes, Strade swallowed the paper but choked a bit as getting a rather large ball of paper down is as difficult as it sounds and could result in scratching up your throat. Now I'd like to take a second to say that you should not eat paper, as it contains bleach.

"Now, k u m p e l, what's your name..?~" Strade cooed out, voice a bit more gravely than before.

"....What the fuck man? My name is Lucas." He answered, trying to understand why anyone would do what the brunette had done.

Strade's eyes opened wider, if that's even possible, and looked away. Cursing under his breath, not sure why his trick didn't work. His brow furrowed as he searched for answers.

Now, because Strade was so distracted with trying to come up with an answer why Lucas's name didn't disappear as he ate the paper, Lucas managed to escape from the booth and walk out of the front door. Not touching the pint that Strade had given him and leaving the eccentric man to his own devices. Strade didn't even notice that his new buddy had left. But when he would later find out...heh....

he's not going to be too happy.

"Fucking finally." Lucas cursed as he shivered more into his coat trying to unlock the door to his apartment, hands a shaking mess. Lucas didn't own any means of transportation meaning he walked to and from the Braying Mule. The bone chilling October air urged him to get home as quickly as his little chicken legs could carry him. And as such, since his mind was clouded with only thoughts of getting home he didn't notice the expensive, sleek, black car that had been following him just a short distance away.

Inside that shiny black car was the eccentric yet enthusiastic man Lucas had talked to just about a half an hour prior to his arrival home. Yes, Strade...whatever his last name is had followed him home. He wouldn't let his prey get away that easily. Although, right now would not be a good time to take Lucas as he lived in a fairly inhabited neighborhood and he was a couple inches taller than the slightly chubby brunette. No...he'd have to strike at a time where he was completely vulnerable and no one could stop him.

"Soon enough...That time will come. All I have to do is be patient." Strade whispered as he pulled out a pen and pad and begun writing random names of people he hated with a burning passion. He ripped a piece of paper off and crumpled it up. "Let's see how Gertrude likes not remembering her name. Old bitch said a looked like a rat if I don't shower." He mumbled angrily as he shoved the ball past his lips and into his mouth. Then he choked.