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Innocence In The Dark
Caffre
He pushed open the doors to Joes, the heat from the place hitting him square in the face, the opposite of the cold blizzard like conditions outside. He crossed the short distance to the bar, pulling off his gloves and rubbing his hands together to generate a little bit of heat in them. He reluctantly threw his gloves on the bar. He hated being cold.
"Hot toddy Joe."
Joe raised his eyebrows at his friend's request, beer being the standard response he usually got from his 'oldest' customer. He reached over to the whiskey bottle, pouring a generous shot into a glass before disappearing into the back to heat it up.
He returned not very long afterwards, Methos staring fixedly at the counter in anticipation of the drink his friend was bringing him, barely noticing the door opening again letting the cold and snow blow in.
Taking a moment to cradle the hot glass in his slender hands, Methos downed the reviving liquid in one long steady draught. He shivered slightly in pleasure as the heat and whiskey battled with the cold he was feeling.
"Oh, but that felt good." He looked longfully at the now empty container, before slowly raising his earthen eyes back towards Joe.
Joe laughed. "You sir, are a cad."
Methos raised his glass in a silent toast to Joe's declaration, before handing it back to him for a refill.
Just then Methos felt the presence of a pre-immortal behind him. He saw no point in turning, as he knew he was in no danger. Instead he allowed whomever it was to stand beside him at the bar.
He saw the man who had inadvertently grabbed his attention out of the corner of his eye. He still had flakes of snow on his dark coat, letting Methos know he was the one who had come in only moments before. He turned and smiled at the man beside him. Better to make friends with him now he thought to himself, rather than waiting until he was an immortal with a sword. He smiled at the stranger.
"Joe, another hot toddy for my friend here." Joe smiled as he went to prepare another.
"Adam." Methos kept the introduction simple.
The other man gave him an oddly innocent smile.
"I'm Jarod."
Joe handed him the drink over the bar. "Here you go Jarod."
Jarod accepted the drink, cupping it in the same manner that Methos had done previously.
"You have to drink it in one go Jarod." He saw Joes dubious look at his friends suggestion.
"Well, that's always been my opinion." Adam turned back to Jarod. "Of
the first one at least."
Jarod lifted the glass to his lips, amusement playing about his eyes. He lifted the glass to his lips, hesitating slightly until he looked into Adam's eyes. He drank it down in one go.
Then he began coughing and spluttering.
"Easy does it Jarod. I take it you don't usually drink whiskey?"
A grin tried to push its way past the distaste of the drink, and it took him a moment to finally find his voice again. "No. Actually this is my first taste of it. And I really have to say, I don't like it much."
Methos laughed. "Doesn't matter if you like it or not. It's the sensation that flows through you after you've had some that's important."
Jarod's eyes widened as he realised what 'Adam' had meant. Warmth was spreading through him like a fire. He smiled at the sensation, a slight hint of red beginning to form on his cheeks. "Now that I like." He turned to Joe. "Another drink for my friend here please, and I'll have a..." He paused as he thought about what he would like. "I'll have a cranberry juice please."
The rest of the night Methos spent talking to Jarod. He soon came to appreciate the understated intelligence combined with a gentle personality that was this man. He found it hard to imagine him one day carrying a sword. Still, he of all people knew what time was capable of.
"So Jarod, tell me a little about yourself?"
Jarod looked over his drink to the dark man across from him. His whole life had been spent as a Pretender, he knew things about people, things people wouldn't normally tell you. He could see that this man had both been the victim and cause of great pain. It was in his eyes mostly. It held the wisdom that usually only came through years and years of living. Of living a lie and of living life. He had seen the same looks on the faces of people who had been held in concentration camps, prisoners of war. It was a look of regret that came with age. Seeing that he couldn't have been any older than him, he figured that this man must have seen and done a lot in his short life.
Jarod decided to be honest with him. He didn't see the harm. Not many people would believe such a casual remark.
"Well, basically, I'm on the run from a secret organisation. I know too much and they want me back. You?"
Adam smiled at that. He could appreciate the man wanting to keep a few secrets. He had more than a few of his own he didn't want to get out. Still, he opted for just a little bit of the truth this time. He reckoned that this way, if anything should happen to Jarod, and lets face it, he thought to himself, everyone dies eventually, he would remember this conversation, and hopefully realise that he had been giving him a guiding hand.
"I'm an immortal. I woke up from my first death and discovered I couldn't be killed, unless someone chopped off my head. You know. The usual."
Both men took a sip from their drinks, each displaying a serious expression. Which lasted all of two seconds before they burst into laughter, each thinking the other was joking.
Methos liked this man. He had a child like innocence that he found appealing. He himself had lost any chance at such innocence a very long time ago. To find an adult with it in this day and age was a rarity.
"Say Jarod, this place is closing up soon. Come on back to my place. I've got an extra room."
He saw Jarod's expression at this. Not one concerned about his virtue, but rather one that implied that he didn't want to put his new friend out. Methos found it heart-warming that this man hadn't even thought that he might want to get him into bed. Not that he did of course. At least not right now. "Honestly, you wouldn't be putting me out. I'd like the company."
Jarod saw the genuine look on Adams face and decided that he would. After all, it would provide him with a safe place where he could get some sleep. Parker and her sweepers had been closing in on him recently. He had only come into this bar because he thought someone had been following him. "Alright, I will. Thank you"
"Great. You don't have work in the morning do you?"
Jarod was puzzled by this question. "No. Why?"
"Well, I was thinking that we could rent a couple of videos, grab a takeaway. Have a bit of a lads night in."
Jarod could just imagine what this meant, and smiled at the thought that someone he'd only met tonight would what to do that with him."I'd love that. I've never had a ... 'lads night in' before. Should be fun."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were walking down the street, the snow having stopped for a moment, giving the street a clean feel to it.
"I love the snow." Jarod looked back at his footprints, and then began hopping. "Look, people will think a man with one leg came down this way."
Methos laughed. "I don't think so Jarod. People will either think a crazed adult did it, or some kid who got their hands on their dads shoes."
Methos watched as Jarod blushed slightly.
"Sorry. It's just... Well, this is only the second time I've ever seen snow. What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Do you like snow?"
Methos thought about the seriously inappropriate number of times that he had died in the snow, even for someone of his age. He honestly believed that Jack Frost personally didn't like him and had some kind of vendetta against him. Still, seeing Jarod's enthusiasm, he didn't want to put a dampener on it.
Caffre
He pushed open the doors to Joes, the heat from the place hitting him square in the face, the opposite of the cold blizzard like conditions outside. He crossed the short distance to the bar, pulling off his gloves and rubbing his hands together to generate a little bit of heat in them. He reluctantly threw his gloves on the bar. He hated being cold.
"Hot toddy Joe."
Joe raised his eyebrows at his friend's request, beer being the standard response he usually got from his 'oldest' customer. He reached over to the whiskey bottle, pouring a generous shot into a glass before disappearing into the back to heat it up.
He returned not very long afterwards, Methos staring fixedly at the counter in anticipation of the drink his friend was bringing him, barely noticing the door opening again letting the cold and snow blow in.
Taking a moment to cradle the hot glass in his slender hands, Methos downed the reviving liquid in one long steady draught. He shivered slightly in pleasure as the heat and whiskey battled with the cold he was feeling.
"Oh, but that felt good." He looked longfully at the now empty container, before slowly raising his earthen eyes back towards Joe.
Joe laughed. "You sir, are a cad."
Methos raised his glass in a silent toast to Joe's declaration, before handing it back to him for a refill.
Just then Methos felt the presence of a pre-immortal behind him. He saw no point in turning, as he knew he was in no danger. Instead he allowed whomever it was to stand beside him at the bar.
He saw the man who had inadvertently grabbed his attention out of the corner of his eye. He still had flakes of snow on his dark coat, letting Methos know he was the one who had come in only moments before. He turned and smiled at the man beside him. Better to make friends with him now he thought to himself, rather than waiting until he was an immortal with a sword. He smiled at the stranger.
"Joe, another hot toddy for my friend here." Joe smiled as he went to prepare another.
"Adam." Methos kept the introduction simple.
The other man gave him an oddly innocent smile.
"I'm Jarod."
Joe handed him the drink over the bar. "Here you go Jarod."
Jarod accepted the drink, cupping it in the same manner that Methos had done previously.
"You have to drink it in one go Jarod." He saw Joes dubious look at his friends suggestion.
"Well, that's always been my opinion." Adam turned back to Jarod. "Of
the first one at least."
Jarod lifted the glass to his lips, amusement playing about his eyes. He lifted the glass to his lips, hesitating slightly until he looked into Adam's eyes. He drank it down in one go.
Then he began coughing and spluttering.
"Easy does it Jarod. I take it you don't usually drink whiskey?"
A grin tried to push its way past the distaste of the drink, and it took him a moment to finally find his voice again. "No. Actually this is my first taste of it. And I really have to say, I don't like it much."
Methos laughed. "Doesn't matter if you like it or not. It's the sensation that flows through you after you've had some that's important."
Jarod's eyes widened as he realised what 'Adam' had meant. Warmth was spreading through him like a fire. He smiled at the sensation, a slight hint of red beginning to form on his cheeks. "Now that I like." He turned to Joe. "Another drink for my friend here please, and I'll have a..." He paused as he thought about what he would like. "I'll have a cranberry juice please."
The rest of the night Methos spent talking to Jarod. He soon came to appreciate the understated intelligence combined with a gentle personality that was this man. He found it hard to imagine him one day carrying a sword. Still, he of all people knew what time was capable of.
"So Jarod, tell me a little about yourself?"
Jarod looked over his drink to the dark man across from him. His whole life had been spent as a Pretender, he knew things about people, things people wouldn't normally tell you. He could see that this man had both been the victim and cause of great pain. It was in his eyes mostly. It held the wisdom that usually only came through years and years of living. Of living a lie and of living life. He had seen the same looks on the faces of people who had been held in concentration camps, prisoners of war. It was a look of regret that came with age. Seeing that he couldn't have been any older than him, he figured that this man must have seen and done a lot in his short life.
Jarod decided to be honest with him. He didn't see the harm. Not many people would believe such a casual remark.
"Well, basically, I'm on the run from a secret organisation. I know too much and they want me back. You?"
Adam smiled at that. He could appreciate the man wanting to keep a few secrets. He had more than a few of his own he didn't want to get out. Still, he opted for just a little bit of the truth this time. He reckoned that this way, if anything should happen to Jarod, and lets face it, he thought to himself, everyone dies eventually, he would remember this conversation, and hopefully realise that he had been giving him a guiding hand.
"I'm an immortal. I woke up from my first death and discovered I couldn't be killed, unless someone chopped off my head. You know. The usual."
Both men took a sip from their drinks, each displaying a serious expression. Which lasted all of two seconds before they burst into laughter, each thinking the other was joking.
Methos liked this man. He had a child like innocence that he found appealing. He himself had lost any chance at such innocence a very long time ago. To find an adult with it in this day and age was a rarity.
"Say Jarod, this place is closing up soon. Come on back to my place. I've got an extra room."
He saw Jarod's expression at this. Not one concerned about his virtue, but rather one that implied that he didn't want to put his new friend out. Methos found it heart-warming that this man hadn't even thought that he might want to get him into bed. Not that he did of course. At least not right now. "Honestly, you wouldn't be putting me out. I'd like the company."
Jarod saw the genuine look on Adams face and decided that he would. After all, it would provide him with a safe place where he could get some sleep. Parker and her sweepers had been closing in on him recently. He had only come into this bar because he thought someone had been following him. "Alright, I will. Thank you"
"Great. You don't have work in the morning do you?"
Jarod was puzzled by this question. "No. Why?"
"Well, I was thinking that we could rent a couple of videos, grab a takeaway. Have a bit of a lads night in."
Jarod could just imagine what this meant, and smiled at the thought that someone he'd only met tonight would what to do that with him."I'd love that. I've never had a ... 'lads night in' before. Should be fun."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were walking down the street, the snow having stopped for a moment, giving the street a clean feel to it.
"I love the snow." Jarod looked back at his footprints, and then began hopping. "Look, people will think a man with one leg came down this way."
Methos laughed. "I don't think so Jarod. People will either think a crazed adult did it, or some kid who got their hands on their dads shoes."
Methos watched as Jarod blushed slightly.
"Sorry. It's just... Well, this is only the second time I've ever seen snow. What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Do you like snow?"
Methos thought about the seriously inappropriate number of times that he had died in the snow, even for someone of his age. He honestly believed that Jack Frost personally didn't like him and had some kind of vendetta against him. Still, seeing Jarod's enthusiasm, he didn't want to put a dampener on it.
