𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗥 | the boys 2

𝘹𝘷𝘪𝘪) 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐍'𝐒 𝐏𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐘

Sure, he tried to make sure she'd stay in the basement but the inevitable was that Butcher was fully aware of her slipperiness, which was why he had frustratedly pulled her along to see his parents instead of leaving her in the car. He stated that 'if he left her by herself, she'd be on the other side of the fucking state once he got back to the car'. But he had kept her in the dark about his other... problem, and he intended to keep it that way. Just as he waved for the bartenders attention once more, the door to the bar swung open and a small cough could be heard, tempted by the clouds of smoke hanging over the air. Fighting his smirk with his eyebrows raised, he pushed away his glasses and glanced at her sitting a seat away from him.

"You alright, there?" He asked curiously as Rowan winced, yanking off her boots nonchalantly in the public area. No one seemed to care, though, too lost in their own world painted by the spills of alcohol on the disgusting tables.

"Shoes." She scoffed,"More trouble than the little fuckers are worth." She decided, laying a small pot of nail polish at the bar where they were sat.

"And what's that then, eh?" Butcher reached for it, peering over the blood red colour, rather intrigued.

"I was hoping Kimiko could do it for me. It wouldn't last long, but she seemed to enjoy trying to put makeup on me while I had a nap." She sighed. He let out a coarse chuckle at the image he once walked into:

'Oi! What the fuck is this? Come on, we ain't 'avin this!'

Both Kimiko and Rowan looked up at him before the younger spoke,'What can I say? I cut a deal with the lady.'

"And what about you?" He quizzed, since they often enjoyed picking each other's brains for the sake of it and it was currently his turn.

Rowan snuck a glance at her own hands for a moment before replying with a withered volume,"I'm still having trouble sitting still." 

Before he could utter another word, the bartender called to her while running a dirty tea-towel around the rim on a shot glass,"Hey! We don't serve kids in here - you better get the fuck out before anyone catches you."

"Do I look like I need a fuckin' drink to you?" She threw a hand into the air in expression, all while Billy continued staring - there was still one thing lingering in the back of his head among all the grief and misery so thick he could only see a person through it.

"Oi, come 'ere a sec." He muttered, to which she obeyed with a small groan. The last thing he wanted was to make a big deal about it. "What's the deal, then? You like girls or something?"

Rowan's eyes widened in utter, blatant fear and her skin suddenly began to burn beneath her clothes,"U-uhm..." Her voice trembled as the cell phone on the table rumbled. "I don't know. Maybe?" She panted,"What's it to you?" She snapped defensively.

"Nowt." He shrugged and carefully picked up the phone before remarking indifferently,"I like women too."

"But-but you're a-"

"M.M., how'd it with Vogelbaum?" Their equally dark eyes locked once more as she waited to judge what had gone on while Marvin and Mallory had gone to question the main scientist who brought up that creature in a lab. Butcher finally let his smirk take hold again and announced,"Sounds like we're back on the road again, kiddo." 

____________________

"I'm sorry, he's very tired." The lady attempted to turn them down over the radio as Butcher and Fields looked out over the massive house through the windscreen and gates. The stench of cigarettes had followed them via the coffin nail hanging from his lip. She tutted and grimaced at him to make her disapproval apparent but the hypocrisy was not absent. Her lungs were probably as black as his, being a her age, constantly around people like Frenchie.