What Goes Up... | Watson/Two-Bit INACTIVE

[merrill]

The smell of cheap cigarettes and booze was a scent he was very well used to. He practically grown up on it. Two-Bit couldn't remember a moment in his life when he wasn't smoking or boozing. As he took the first cancer stick of the evening, he remembered those laws the new mayor came up with. Screw the rules, he grinned to himself, as he tried to perfect his smoke ring.

The cigarette hanging loosely from the corner of his mouth, a dirty rag at hand; it was a time where thoughts tend to hit him. Ever since he had gotten a job at this bar, it had left him with plenty of time to think. However, during the day he tend to keep focus on his customers and the lovely barmaids. Especially Josie, man, she had killer legs.

When he was the last one around (it was his duty to close up), he couldn't help but think about Kathy. Two-Bit always had an off-and-on relationship with her, but lately it felt even closer than ever before. If that made any sense. He found that he seemed to think of less and less of the foxy broads around him and more of her. He mentally shook himself. He didn't know what he was thinking of.

There was a tap on his shoulder, when he turned around, he found himself facing Josie. She was smiling coyly at him. Her long, red fingernails were placed on her hips. She leaned towards him and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. "I'll be goin' now," she said. Two-Bit could still feel the stickiness of her lipstick on his cheek. "You can hold up on ya'r own?"

He smiled back at her, cocking an eyebrow. She was a real broad. For a married woman, she sure didn't act like one. "I'll be fine, Jos, see ya Monday!" He didn't bother to watch her leave.

In a way, it was kind of weird. His own mother worked as a barmaid, so it was like seeing younger versions of her. Maybe that's what was starting to turn him off from them. Yeah, that was probably it. He returned to the grimy counter with the equally filthy rag. Once that was down, he turned to the empty (or half-empty) mugs scattered across the pub.

He barely blinked an eye when the bar door opened once again, and slammed shut. Without turning to the door, he only pulled out the ash tray and squashed the butt of the cigarette before pulling out a new one. Again, without turning, he spoke, "No, Josie - I'm not in the mood," he began to turn to face the visitor. "Not toni-"

He stopped. The visitor was most definitely not Josie.

[chess]

Once John Hamish Watson had an idea set in his head, he wasn't the type to let go of it until it seemed futile to be pursuing it any longer. It was one particular idea that had brought him to this part of New York City, The Bronx. He wouldn't generally have any business in the area. If he didn't need to be there, it was very, VERY rare that he was there. He actually subconsciously avoided the place and he'd never even realised it. Anyway, the idea in his head was attached to one Dallas Winston, an old 'friend' of Sherlock Holmes, who seemed to have enjoyed the idea of breaking into their shared apartment and taking anything he could get his hands on. Watson had not been able to understand why Winston would take any of his things, but, then again, he didn't think that Winston had taken the time to care who's things he was taking. It would appear that Holmes was the initial target and Winston didn't care who else he annoyed and upset along the way.

Winston had taken the one thing in Watson's room that he prized more than anything else: Mary's engagement ring. He hadn't even had the chance or the guts to present her with it. After the pursuit of Dallas, Sherlock wasn't exactly in the best way to carry on the case or to be dealing with the hoodlum again. Therefore, Jay had taken it upon himself to track Winston down and get back what he could from the jerk. Anyway, it had been a previous trip to the Bronx to try and track Winston down that had presented him with the opportunity to formulate a plan. One of Winston's friends had a secret that he seemed happy with shouting out to his friends, but Watson could imagine that the secret heard by the wrong ears would not go down well. Maybe it was underhanded to use something he had overheard as a piece of bribery...hell, maybe it was underhanded to resort to bribery, but he had to do what he could to get what he wanted right now.

It was easy enough to find out where 'Two-Bit' Mathews worked. The various people in the Bronx that he had spoken to in trying to track the guy down seemed more than happy to hand over information to the good doctor. Granted, now, he had found himself spending most of the day watching the bar where Two-Bit worked waiting for it to be emptied out. He had heard that the guy was in charge of locking up, so it was easy to watch as various patrons and other staff left. He knew which staff had gone in and was waiting for the last one to go out. He might not have had Holmes' eye for detail, but he had a good head for names and faces. He waited for the last person to walk out before cautiously crossing the street and entering the bar himself. He let the door fall shut behind himself, crossing his arms over his chest, watching the back of Two-Bit, hearing his words and then seeing him turn. “I'm not exactly in the mood either,” he said, half sarcastically, half menacingly.

[merrill]

When Two-Bit turned around, he definitely expected Josie bearing some sort of skimpy material (or lack of) and a fresh coat of make up on. It was a wonder how quick she could dress and undress, as far as Kathy knew he didn't know that at all. No, the person standing in the doorway was actually a man.

"I'm not exactly in the mood either," he said. His tone was sarcastic and Two-Bit's first impression of the man was threatening.

Two-Bit picked up the dirty rag he was using and continued to wipe down the counter. His attempts, however, were in vain. No piece of cloth could possibly clean this counter riddled with scratches and chips from previous bar fights. He took a large puff of the cigarette and it made the form of a smoke ring. He then grinned at the newcomer. It was wide enough to rival the Chesire cat's.

"What lady's got ya by the balls?" he asked, rubbing hard at a stain on the left corner of the counter. This guy looked pissed enough to be that type of man. After all, that's what most men do come here for. To drown their womanly troubles. Two-Bit was a sympathetic man and always all ears. He was used to listening about all their drunken blubber that he often could barely comprehend, but understood the situation enough to get the gist of what they were saying. However, it was after hours, and Two-Bit had a 'date' with Kathy.

"Y'all have to wait for tomorrow," he said. "We're just about to close up now."

He threw the rag under the counter and walked over to the refrigerator. He opened the door and the white light blinded him a little after spending hours in the dim lighting of the bar. He quickly adjusted and looked around the fridge for beer. All it had were MGDs, and he hated MGD. Some Guinness would have been nice. He had to live with what they had.

When he looked up, he bore a semi-frustrated look when he found that the man did not leave. He didn't look like he had any intentions to either.

"Look, pal," he began, "I gotta date to go to, so unless you want me to give you it"--he raised his fist--"I won't hesitate to do it right here and now. Find another place that's opened at three in the morning." He did not mean to sound really annoyed, but he didn't want to leave Kathy hanging. She'd promised a spot for him in bed.

[chess]

Watson could see the slight look of surprise on Two-Bit's face when the guy turned around and saw him standing by the door. He was clearly expecting someone else, someone who definitely wasn't Watson, some who was probably the chick that had just left coming back for round two or something. He continued to watch the guy as he wiped down the counter top, remaining unmoving from his place by the door with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His expression remained completely unimpressed as Two-Bit blew a smoke ring and then grinned broadly at him. He let out a slight burst of laughter at the guy's initial comment. “I don't think your friend would appreciate being called a 'lady',” he began carefully, a smirk slipping across his lips. “But, then again, it's a better name for him than any of the ones I have in my head,” he added, expression falling seriously very quickly again. He continued to watch Two-Bit cleaning the bar.

The guy clearly took it up in his stereotypical role as the local bartender to be cleaning the bar constantly, even if it didn't do any real good, and yet carry on with the banter, even if he wasn't really listening or caring about what was being said to him or by him. He had probably had to deal with enough drunken ramblings that he didn't have to listen or care anymore. “I don't think really you want me to wait for tomorrow,” he began in response to Two-Bit's observation about how he would have to wait until tomorrow because the bar was closing up right now. “I've waited all day for this,” he continued, keeping his tone relatively even considering the mood he was in. “I figured you wouldn't want there to be a scene and, besides, I don't think you want EVERYONE to know what I've got to say,” he finished, a knowing look glinting in his eyes. He took the opportunity to look around the place when Two-Bit distract himself with the refrigerator.

This was definitely not the sort of place Watson would normally find himself in, but, given the situation, he was more focused on what he wanted to achieve. He refocused on the guy, who didn't seem very impressed by Jay's presence. He seemed to have lost the humour of entertaining him and now he was just irritated with him being there. He let out a light burst of laughter as Two-Bit spoke attempting to get rid of him by explaining where he needed to go and threaten him in the process. “Oh, I'm sorry I'm an inconvenience for you,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “But if you're date is who I think it is, I think she'd benefit more if I delayed you a little longer considering what I have to say,” he replied, his tone falling serious. “And you might wanna think before you threaten me because, right now, I can think of several ways of killing you and not leaving any evidence,” he returned in his own threat. Fists didn't really achieve anything, but Watson wouldn't find it difficult to do as he had threatened.

[merrill]

Two-Bit had let the first comment slide. He did not give a shit of what anyone thought of Josie. Hell, he'd want nothing to do with her if she wasn't so good in the after hours. She had a great body, but was a slut nonetheless. Two-Bit could see this man wasn't type to want to know that. He looked like the type who'd accept a beer from him either, so he decided not to offer.

However, the second comment had him stop. Two-Bit didn't know him, and never recalled meeting him, not even when he was soused. He had his beer half tilted into his mouth, but he suddenly stopped. The cold liquid unintentionally poured down his mouth and he coughed it out. He cocked an eyebrow in confusion, his throat burning a little. However, he did not say anything, only to hear out the rest of what he had to say.

It was the last retort that had him. This man definitely meant business. He knew something of Two-Bit, or intended to squeeze it out. It will take more than a showy threat to get something out of him. "Now, I suggest you better leave if you don't have anything important to say," he said. "If ya do, I'm not sure I wanna hear it." He had a feeling that was not going to make this unwanted visitor leave.