“What?” Ivan turned his gaze to the drink being held out to him. It was toilet bowl cleaner blue, with a skewered pineapple slice and cherry sticking out. “Oh, no th-”
“C'mon, try it!” Alfred held the drink closer to Ivan.
It didn't seem he would be able to convince the boy otherwise. Ivan took the glass and sipped through the straw. It was... fruity and... to be honest, it was kind of good.
“Well?”
He made a noncommittal grunt, handing the drink back. Ivan Braginsky did not consume girly cocktails.
“Well, at least you tried it.” Alfred then winked at a nearby girl and handed the drink to her. She giggled and accepted it, apparently not realizing it had already been sipped from.
Ivan waited until there was another lull in orders, then tried to strike up conversation again. “So, Alfred-”
“Al,” the boy interrupted. “Al is good. Alfred, it's such an old man name, don'tcha think?”
Ivan shook his head. “I had not thought-”
“Well, it is an old man name.” Alfred laughed. He had a pleasant laugh, full of life and happiness. “I was named after my grandfather.”
“Ah yes, you mentioned him before.”
“Yeah, him!” Alfred seemed pleased that his grandfather had been remembered. “D'you have any nicknames? Iv?”
Ivan winced. “I do, but... Ivan is fine.”
“Aww, okay. No Iv?”
“Definitely not.” It sounded like he was calling him 'Eve'. He would never live that down if anybody heard them.
“Well, your name is cool, at least. There's lots of cool Ivans. What do I have? The old butler in Batman.”
“Hitchcock?” Ivan suggested.
“Oh, yeah, him. He's cool.” Alfred sighed. “Also old. And dead. Seriously, I would need a stage name to become famous.”
“I think it is a nice name.”
“You're sweet to say that.” With a grin, Alfred turned to a new customer.
Sweet. When was the last time somebody had called Ivan sweet?
Hell, when was the last time somebody had talked to Ivan like a normal human being? It was refreshing, chatting like one of the guys. He hadn't realized how nice it would be to have a friend who was unaware of his lifestyle. Especially one with such an upbeat, friendly personality. Ivan could already tell that, even if he was the new bartender, the customers were already quite fond of him. The girls especially were hovering close, trying to catch his eye.
Ivan realized Alfred had asked him something, and was patiently waiting for an answer as he poured liquors. “What?”
“I said, do you have any brothers?”
“Oh. No. Two sisters, and a fairly big extended family. No brothers.”
Alfred grinned. “Aww, sisters. Little brother Ivan! Or big brother Ivan?”
“Both.”
“Oh, some of each. I'm the younger brother, myself.”
For some reason, Ivan found himself wanting to learn more about this extroverted young man. It was nice just listening to him talk, the way he sounded so eager to spill out every word. It was certainly helping to keep his mind off the recent unpleasantness, even if only temporarily.
But before he could think of something else to ask, his phone rang. “Excuse me.” He quickly walked to a less populated corner of the bar before answering. “Yes?” Ivan listened for a moment, eyes narrowing. “All right. I'll be there soon.” Work. Of course. He just wanted one relaxing night... With a sigh, he returned to the bar.
“Alfred,” he said before remembering. “Al. I need to go. It was nice talking to you.”
“Aww, so soon?” The boy actually looked disappointed.
Ivan nodded. “Work.”
“All right... Well, come back soon!”
Ivan couldn't stop himself from smiling. “I just might do that.”
Bratva 2b/??
“What?” Ivan turned his gaze to the drink being held out to him. It was toilet bowl cleaner blue, with a skewered pineapple slice and cherry sticking out. “Oh, no th-”
“C'mon, try it!” Alfred held the drink closer to Ivan.
It didn't seem he would be able to convince the boy otherwise. Ivan took the glass and sipped through the straw. It was... fruity and... to be honest, it was kind of good.
“Well?”
He made a noncommittal grunt, handing the drink back. Ivan Braginsky did not consume girly cocktails.
“Well, at least you tried it.” Alfred then winked at a nearby girl and handed the drink to her. She giggled and accepted it, apparently not realizing it had already been sipped from.
Ivan waited until there was another lull in orders, then tried to strike up conversation again. “So, Alfred-”
“Al,” the boy interrupted. “Al is good. Alfred, it's such an old man name, don'tcha think?”
Ivan shook his head. “I had not thought-”
“Well, it is an old man name.” Alfred laughed. He had a pleasant laugh, full of life and happiness. “I was named after my grandfather.”
“Ah yes, you mentioned him before.”
“Yeah, him!” Alfred seemed pleased that his grandfather had been remembered. “D'you have any nicknames? Iv?”
Ivan winced. “I do, but... Ivan is fine.”
“Aww, okay. No Iv?”
“Definitely not.” It sounded like he was calling him 'Eve'. He would never live that down if anybody heard them.
“Well, your name is cool, at least. There's lots of cool Ivans. What do I have? The old butler in Batman.”
“Hitchcock?” Ivan suggested.
“Oh, yeah, him. He's cool.” Alfred sighed. “Also old. And dead. Seriously, I would need a stage name to become famous.”
“I think it is a nice name.”
“You're sweet to say that.” With a grin, Alfred turned to a new customer.
Sweet. When was the last time somebody had called Ivan sweet?
Hell, when was the last time somebody had talked to Ivan like a normal human being? It was refreshing, chatting like one of the guys. He hadn't realized how nice it would be to have a friend who was unaware of his lifestyle. Especially one with such an upbeat, friendly personality. Ivan could already tell that, even if he was the new bartender, the customers were already quite fond of him. The girls especially were hovering close, trying to catch his eye.
Ivan realized Alfred had asked him something, and was patiently waiting for an answer as he poured liquors. “What?”
“I said, do you have any brothers?”
“Oh. No. Two sisters, and a fairly big extended family. No brothers.”
Alfred grinned. “Aww, sisters. Little brother Ivan! Or big brother Ivan?”
“Both.”
“Oh, some of each. I'm the younger brother, myself.”
For some reason, Ivan found himself wanting to learn more about this extroverted young man. It was nice just listening to him talk, the way he sounded so eager to spill out every word. It was certainly helping to keep his mind off the recent unpleasantness, even if only temporarily.
But before he could think of something else to ask, his phone rang. “Excuse me.” He quickly walked to a less populated corner of the bar before answering. “Yes?” Ivan listened for a moment, eyes narrowing. “All right. I'll be there soon.” Work. Of course. He just wanted one relaxing night... With a sigh, he returned to the bar.
“Alfred,” he said before remembering. “Al. I need to go. It was nice talking to you.”
“Aww, so soon?” The boy actually looked disappointed.
Ivan nodded. “Work.”
“All right... Well, come back soon!”
Ivan couldn't stop himself from smiling. “I just might do that.”
-----