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 trying to look for any specific reason?" Jim asked, taking a drink and watching her over his glass. "Or just had that lying around to wear?"

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie shrugged one bare shoulder and took a sip. "Bought the dress for a cocktail party thing at an embassy, haven't really had a chance to wear it since. Your birthday seems like enough of an occasion."

[pursuedthestars]

"Well, don't look now but I think my friend, the bartender, has the hots for you," Jim pointed out, nodding at the bartender at the end of the bar. He was indeed sneaking glances at Natalie. "He's liking what he sees."

[whenshewasnice]

"I know." Well, she wasn't entirely clueless as to what she looked like. Didn't sneak a glance back, though. Yet, anyway. "I'm not unattractive."

[pursuedthestars]

"No, you're not," he told her, watching her quietly. "You look good. Very good."

[whenshewasnice]

"So I guess you're liking what you see, too."

But that was no surprise after two years of them sleeping together.

[pursuedthestars]

"Duh," Jim said, raising an eyebrow. "You know I like how you look. I spent awhile telling you that."

[whenshewasnice]

"I don't usually look like this, though," Natalie retorted idly, examining her drink before another sip. "So at least there's a slight difference."

[pursuedthestars]

"Not by much," Jim argued, shaking his head. "I've seen you look like this before and besides, even if you don't usually look like this, you still look good."

[whenshewasnice]

"Thank you." Well, what else was there to say? At least that was delivered with a tiny quirk of a smile, over the rim of her glass. "You look okay, too."

[pursuedthestars]

"Of course I do." His ego was in full effect tonight. "I always look okay! That's just what happens when I roll out of bed."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie reached up and tried to ruffle his hair.

"Ah, yes. You're just naturally adorable."

[pursuedthestars]

"I'm glad you recognize that," Jim told her, smirking. "More people should. It'd make the the world happier."

[whenshewasnice]

She brushed her fingertips over his nose as she drew her hand back. "I don't know, it doesn't make me that much happier. And I'm just one person."

[pursuedthestars]

"It doesn't make you happier?" he asked, frowning. "Well, that's heartbreaking."

[whenshewasnice]

"No, it's not."

She sipped her drink quietly.

[pursuedthestars]

"It's my birthday, you need to be a little lively," he told her. "Come on, loosen up and relax."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie responded with a raised eyebrow. "Have I ever been lively?"

[pursuedthestars]

"Are you just going to drink quietly all night?" he had to wonder.

[whenshewasnice]

"Would you prefer it if I drank loudly?" she retorted, lightly amused.

[pursuedthestars]

"I would prefer it if you enjoyed yourself," Jim countered.

[whenshewasnice]

"And drinking quietly would mean I wasn't doing that?"

Just checking.

[pursuedthestars]

"It would mean that I'd wonder if you were enjoying yourself or just here going through the motions," Jim admitted.

[whenshewasnice]

"We've only been broken up for a couple of months, and you've already lost touch with your ability to read me?" Natalie teased mildly, tsking. "That was fast."

[pursuedthestars]

"I just want you to have fun," Jim told her. "That's all."