Iowa | Monday FT

[pursuedthestars]

It was Jim's birthday.

"And on January 4th, my mother birthed the beautiful, gifted, charming, amazing man you see before you!" Jim shouted while standing on the counter of some bar he'd found. In his hand, he held a drink high, looking out over the patrons of the bar. He knew none of them but he didn't care. "So, on this illustrious day, I say we drink. To me!"

Any excuse to drink seemed to satisfy the denizens of the bar so Jim knocked his shot back and everyone else did too. He raised his fist up in victory before jumping down and getting another drink. He grinned and leaned against the bar, chatting up the nearest pretty girl.

"I think you should sing to me," he told her breezily. "The birthday song. You know it?"

She did and so she sang it. A few people around her joined in, some in drunken, slurring voices and some a little clearer. Jim loved it either way!

"Best birthday ever!"

Spent around strangers. Yeah, he was faking it but he was still having fun.

[NFB but open for all the usual things. Slowing time down a bit in Jim's world to get this post in since I missed it on the exact date. Yay canonical birthdays.]

Comments

[pursuedthestars]

"You need money to seduce me?" Jim asked, raising an eyebrow. "What, gonna ply me with drinks?"

[pursuedthestars]

You're so cute, Cadey.

You brought this on yourself.

[whenshewasnice]

"Well, it's what I was trying to get you to do to me," she pointed out. "So yes, I suppose so."

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

I am not cute. I am intimidating.

[pursuedthestars]

Bullshit. You're cute and you know it.

[pursuedthestars]

"Maybe you could charm the drinks out of the bartender?" Jim suggested.

[whenshewasnice]

"I could at least argue them out of him," Natalie mused. "Charming, I'm not as sure about."

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

I am hot, not cute. Starting to wonder if you're hitting on me...

[pursuedthestars]

"You don't have to charm anyone out of anything," he told her. "Or seduce me. You can just hang out."

[pursuedthestars]

Pfft. You'd know if I was hitting on you. You'd be all a flutter if I was hitting on you.

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

You can turn me into a bird through the comlink? You wizard.

[pursuedthestars]

Just that good, Cade. You should already know that, though.

[whenshewasnice]

"How boring," she drawled. Mostly joking.

[pursuedthestars]

"So, why are you here, all dressed up if hanging out is boring and seducing is out and all?" Jim wondered.

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

Why do you think I keep track of you? YOur going places

[whenshewasnice]

"You're the one who seemed to decide seducing was out," Natalie pointed out. "I never said that."

[pursuedthestars]

"You don't have the currency to seduce," he reminded her. "Seems like throwing it out to me."

[pursuedthestars]

Eh, we'll see. Right now, the only place I wanna go is somewhere with some pretty lady that's here tonight.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie sighed and turned more towards the bar to lean against it. "Fine," she said. "I'm no fun."

That didn't come out quite as self-deprecating as she might have hoped. It just sounded like a factual statement.

[pursuedthestars]

Jim sighed and shook his head. "What's the deal? I don't get what you want from me."

[whenshewasnice]

Without looking over, Natalie reached out and poked him on the nose. "Don't steal my lines, Shatner."

[pursuedthestars]

Jim rolled his eyes and batted her hand away. "I'll do what I want."

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

Same pretty lady I know?

[pursuedthestars]

Unfortunately no. We've gone our separated ways. Still friends though. Just too much distance, different lives, that stuff.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie swatted at his hand in return. That was a perfectly mature thing to do.

"Of course you do."