Are You Okay? // Colby Brock

Downtown Brawl

Prompt: Planning on running a quick errand downtown, Colby inadvertently intervenes with a drunk guy who's mistreating his girlfriend, which unfortunately ends in a fight.

Grumbling lowly to himself, Colby sighs and picks up the pace whilst downtown in L.A. It's about eight o'clock and he's out and about on a mission to buy a new charger since his suddenly broke whilst he was charging his phone. Feeling antisocial and not even trying to help the comfortable scowl on his face, Colby just focuses on getting to the store and back to his apartment where he can bask in its scarcity of people.  

Colby scans the shop windows and finally finds the store he's looking for (some chain convenience store kinda thing). He ducks inside where there's a couple of other costumers, and heads straight for the chargers. Picking up the most basic of iPhone chargers, he goes up to the cashier and pulls out his wallet, not bothering to engage in small talk as he purchases his single item and leaves.

Colby exhales as soon as he's back outside and he begins back on his way to his apartment, barely bothered that he's only wearing a thin tank top and a pair of shorts. He wasn't planning on heading downtown to grab his charger, he was just in bed when it happened so naturally, he couldn't be bothered to get properly dressed.

Just as he turns onto the sidewalk a block or so from where he parked his car, Colby hears hooting and hollering and is met with the sight of a guy just ahead of him, very clearly drunkenly tossing his girlfriend (or just friend) around as he hums whilst she looks quite visibly uncomfortable. His hand is tightly clasped around her arm and he's throwing her about, acting like she's a rag doll. 

Groaning and aware he's about to endure some confrontation, Colby decides to break up whatever the guy's doing.

"Stop, Brent-" The woman repeatedly pleads. 

"Hey-" Colby approaches the couple and cuts in, peeling Brent's arm off the woman, acting as a barricade separating them. He defensively puts an arm out in front of the woman and glares at the man, who only looks entertained by Colby's intrusion. "What the hell are you doing, man?"

"Oooooooh hey," the guy slurs with a drunken smirk on his face. "Whoa, look at you! If looks could kill, man, I'd be a goner for sure..." He follows that up by grabbing at Colby's cheeks like a parent would their child, trying to tease Colby. "Lighten up, pal."

Colby wrinkles his nose, jerking his head back as he slaps the man's hands away and instead of responding, he turns around to the woman. "Are you okay?"

She nods feebly, visibly shaking. "Y-yeah. He just gets like this when he's drunk. I-I try to stop him-"

"Hey, no, that's okay." Colby reassures, turning back to the woman. "Look, man, I didn't wanna have to do this but I'm gonna take her back to her house if she'll let me. Or I'll call her an Uber and pay the toll. What you're doing to her-that shit's not cool."

The man's expression drops and he looks up at Colby with a newfound anger in his eyes. "Oh hell no! No fuckin' way. She's mine, bro, and I ain't lettin' you take her away. Whooo the fuck do you think you are, huh? I'm her boyfriend, pal, not you so why don't you go screw off and leave us the hell alone."

Colby sighs. "Like I said, imma do whatever I can to make her feel safe." He then turns back to the woman, his expression soft and empathetic. "Do you want a ride home, or an Uber?"

Still trembling, the woman swallows and nods, looking up at Colby with relief and gratitude as she side-eyes Brent nervously. "Y-yes, please."

Brent's face goes completely red and he rears up. "What the fuck, babe? You really think imma let you hitch a ride from some random asshole when you came out here with me? Julia, get the fuck over here so I can take you home." Holding his arm out, Brent glares at Julia, expecting her to go with him, trying to bully her back with him, no doubt something he does often.