Post by HburgEagle44 on Mar 16, 2015 0:20:03 GMT -5
Just a quick one shot. I feel like out of all the lads, Neil would notice things the most...I don't know haha. Spontaneous writing season. Enjoy.
Neil sat by himself at the bar, smiling as he watched people dance. He loved seeing people's different styles, enjoying when they fully let go and had fun.
The man with the thinning hair and quick feet seemed to be enjoying his partner very much, as they both threw back their heads and laughed at something the woman on his arm said. They fell into each other, still laughing, before the man began showing off his fancy footwork again, winking at his partner as she giggled and attempted to match him.
Smiling to himself, Neil took a sip of his drink and moved on to the pretty young lady with the long, curly brown hair. She was on the edge of the dance floor, moving slightly as she chatted amiably with her date, flashing a smile at him every once in a while. She looked comfortable and content.
A young man caught the corner of Neil's eye, and he turned to survey him. This young man looked like the Neil of eight years ago, surprising Neil very much. The piercings, the dark clothes, the slight build, the graceful walk... This young man was very reminiscent of his past. Neil blinked in surprise and smiled ruefully, remembering how punk he had thought he had been back then. “Good luck to ye,” he muttered, smiling softly and taking another sip.
A flash of red passed before him and a woman stood next to his stool at the bar. She ordered her drink and smiled at Neil. “Hello.”
He nodded and smiled pleasantly, raising his glass to her. “Hi.”
The bartender had her drink ready within moments and she left, smiling a farewell to Neil. He smiled back and leaned against the bar, surveying the crowd again.
“Hey!” a bubbly voice exploded next to him. “Dance with me!” The American accent was full of mirth.
Neil jumped and looked around for the owner of the voice. He was met with a wide smile and a freckled nose, and a pair of eyes too close to his own for comfort. “Oh, I don't...”
“Please.” The girl pulled back and pouted at him before breaking into an infectious smile again. “I just really want a partner. Please. I love this song.”
Neil hesitated before draining the rest of his beer and standing. “Shall we?”
She giggled and grabbed his hand, leading him through the crowd to a place on the dance floor. “I'm Kimmie,” she exclaimed over the sound of 'Uptown Funk'.
“Neil,” he replied loudly, getting into step quickly.
Kimmie waited expectantly before laughing slightly. “Come here often, Neil?” she asked, her eyes flashing at him.
He shook his head. “No, just wanted to relax after a long day.”
“What do you do?” she asked, bumping into another dancer. “Sorry!” she exclaimed, flashing her wide grin.
“I'm a musician...” he said slowly.
“What kind? Like Bruno Mars?” Kimmie asked, grinning a little bit wider at the thought.
Neil was suddenly struck by the thought of covering a Bruno Mars song. “Maybe 'Uptown Funk' wouldn't be too bad...” he mused to himself before realizing she was waiting for a reply. “No, no. I'm in a... more traditional Celtic singing group.” He smiled. “It's fun but draining.”
They continued chatting throughout the song and Kimmie kept smiling at people, dancing with abandon, and laughing out loud at little comments Neil would make.
After four songs dancing with her, Neil stepped back. “Thank you,” he said, with a smile, bowing slightly. “It was wonderful dancing with you.”
She extended her hand suddenly. “I'll catch you around, Neil. You're not half bad.”
He took her hand and shook it soundly. “Neither are you, Kimmie. I'll catch you later.”
Kimmie nodded and disappeared into the crowd, presumably to find another dance partner.
Neil turned to leave and met a familiar blond head. “Keith,” he said. “What are the odds?” He grinned at his old friend.
Keith looked contemplative. “Who was that?” he asked.
Laughing, Neil shook his head. “Don't go there, mate. She just asked me to dance.”
“Sure, sure,” Keith said good-naturedly. “So the way you looked after her as she left didn't mean anything?”
Neil colored delicately. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing, my friend. Nothing.” Keith slung an arm over Neil's shoulder and led him to the bar. “What are you doing here?”
“Just relaxing after the hard rehearsal,” Neil said, sitting down on a stool while Keith sank down on the one next to him. “You?”
“Same.” Keith ordered a beer for both of them. “So. What have you been doing besides dancing with the cute American?”
“Studying people.”
Keith groaned. “Your eyes have that faraway look again, Neil. What are you thinking?”
“People are... strange.” Neil leaned back and smiled. “I love them. They're so fascinating. Everybody we pass by, everybody that we engage with for even a moment... this bartender here... they all have lives and moments and memories and drama and everybody handles it differently and some people are falling apart inside and some are so joyful they can't stop smiling and some are just content with life and it's wonderful. Humans are wonderful.”
The bartender smiled and gave Neil his drink. “Enjoy.”
Neil raised his glass. “Thanks, mate.”
Keith watched him drink some before taking his drink away. “Okay, that's beautiful and all but I think you need to go home and go to bed. When you turn poetic, that's always a sign that you need sleep and to sober up.”
Neil laughed. “Okay. But if you keep me out here long enough, you may get some poetic beauties for your new album, and I might not even remember well enough to claim them as my own and sue.”
Keith considered for a while before giving Neil his drink back. “You keep spouting those beautiful thoughts, mate.”
“Now you're just using me,” Neil said, rolling his eyes.
Keith laughed. “You're not too upset.”
“Nah. I just want to survey the beauty that is human existence for a little bit longer. Okay?”
Keith picked up his glass and with one mind, the two friends clinked glasses.
“To the beauty of human existence,” Keith said.
They sat in silence for a while before Neil leaned in to Keith, dark head getting very close to light head. “You know I'm not actually drunk, right?”
Keith laughed. “Don't worry, mate. I won't tell anyone about your poetic heart.”
Neil looked around at all the people whose lives he knew nothing about, and grinned. “Nah. You can tell everyone. I think people deserve to know.”
“You sure?” Keith asked, the corners of his mouth twitching.
“Yeah.” Neil nodded. “It's not a problem.”
“Good.” Keith handed Neil his phone. “Because I sent all the lads a snapchat of you musing about the human condition.”
Neil laughed and pretended to throw the phone back at Keith. “I love you, mate.”
Keith nudged Neil with his shoulder.
“Love you, too.”
Neil sat by himself at the bar, smiling as he watched people dance. He loved seeing people's different styles, enjoying when they fully let go and had fun.
The man with the thinning hair and quick feet seemed to be enjoying his partner very much, as they both threw back their heads and laughed at something the woman on his arm said. They fell into each other, still laughing, before the man began showing off his fancy footwork again, winking at his partner as she giggled and attempted to match him.
Smiling to himself, Neil took a sip of his drink and moved on to the pretty young lady with the long, curly brown hair. She was on the edge of the dance floor, moving slightly as she chatted amiably with her date, flashing a smile at him every once in a while. She looked comfortable and content.
A young man caught the corner of Neil's eye, and he turned to survey him. This young man looked like the Neil of eight years ago, surprising Neil very much. The piercings, the dark clothes, the slight build, the graceful walk... This young man was very reminiscent of his past. Neil blinked in surprise and smiled ruefully, remembering how punk he had thought he had been back then. “Good luck to ye,” he muttered, smiling softly and taking another sip.
A flash of red passed before him and a woman stood next to his stool at the bar. She ordered her drink and smiled at Neil. “Hello.”
He nodded and smiled pleasantly, raising his glass to her. “Hi.”
The bartender had her drink ready within moments and she left, smiling a farewell to Neil. He smiled back and leaned against the bar, surveying the crowd again.
“Hey!” a bubbly voice exploded next to him. “Dance with me!” The American accent was full of mirth.
Neil jumped and looked around for the owner of the voice. He was met with a wide smile and a freckled nose, and a pair of eyes too close to his own for comfort. “Oh, I don't...”
“Please.” The girl pulled back and pouted at him before breaking into an infectious smile again. “I just really want a partner. Please. I love this song.”
Neil hesitated before draining the rest of his beer and standing. “Shall we?”
She giggled and grabbed his hand, leading him through the crowd to a place on the dance floor. “I'm Kimmie,” she exclaimed over the sound of 'Uptown Funk'.
“Neil,” he replied loudly, getting into step quickly.
Kimmie waited expectantly before laughing slightly. “Come here often, Neil?” she asked, her eyes flashing at him.
He shook his head. “No, just wanted to relax after a long day.”
“What do you do?” she asked, bumping into another dancer. “Sorry!” she exclaimed, flashing her wide grin.
“I'm a musician...” he said slowly.
“What kind? Like Bruno Mars?” Kimmie asked, grinning a little bit wider at the thought.
Neil was suddenly struck by the thought of covering a Bruno Mars song. “Maybe 'Uptown Funk' wouldn't be too bad...” he mused to himself before realizing she was waiting for a reply. “No, no. I'm in a... more traditional Celtic singing group.” He smiled. “It's fun but draining.”
They continued chatting throughout the song and Kimmie kept smiling at people, dancing with abandon, and laughing out loud at little comments Neil would make.
After four songs dancing with her, Neil stepped back. “Thank you,” he said, with a smile, bowing slightly. “It was wonderful dancing with you.”
She extended her hand suddenly. “I'll catch you around, Neil. You're not half bad.”
He took her hand and shook it soundly. “Neither are you, Kimmie. I'll catch you later.”
Kimmie nodded and disappeared into the crowd, presumably to find another dance partner.
Neil turned to leave and met a familiar blond head. “Keith,” he said. “What are the odds?” He grinned at his old friend.
Keith looked contemplative. “Who was that?” he asked.
Laughing, Neil shook his head. “Don't go there, mate. She just asked me to dance.”
“Sure, sure,” Keith said good-naturedly. “So the way you looked after her as she left didn't mean anything?”
Neil colored delicately. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing, my friend. Nothing.” Keith slung an arm over Neil's shoulder and led him to the bar. “What are you doing here?”
“Just relaxing after the hard rehearsal,” Neil said, sitting down on a stool while Keith sank down on the one next to him. “You?”
“Same.” Keith ordered a beer for both of them. “So. What have you been doing besides dancing with the cute American?”
“Studying people.”
Keith groaned. “Your eyes have that faraway look again, Neil. What are you thinking?”
“People are... strange.” Neil leaned back and smiled. “I love them. They're so fascinating. Everybody we pass by, everybody that we engage with for even a moment... this bartender here... they all have lives and moments and memories and drama and everybody handles it differently and some people are falling apart inside and some are so joyful they can't stop smiling and some are just content with life and it's wonderful. Humans are wonderful.”
The bartender smiled and gave Neil his drink. “Enjoy.”
Neil raised his glass. “Thanks, mate.”
Keith watched him drink some before taking his drink away. “Okay, that's beautiful and all but I think you need to go home and go to bed. When you turn poetic, that's always a sign that you need sleep and to sober up.”
Neil laughed. “Okay. But if you keep me out here long enough, you may get some poetic beauties for your new album, and I might not even remember well enough to claim them as my own and sue.”
Keith considered for a while before giving Neil his drink back. “You keep spouting those beautiful thoughts, mate.”
“Now you're just using me,” Neil said, rolling his eyes.
Keith laughed. “You're not too upset.”
“Nah. I just want to survey the beauty that is human existence for a little bit longer. Okay?”
Keith picked up his glass and with one mind, the two friends clinked glasses.
“To the beauty of human existence,” Keith said.
They sat in silence for a while before Neil leaned in to Keith, dark head getting very close to light head. “You know I'm not actually drunk, right?”
Keith laughed. “Don't worry, mate. I won't tell anyone about your poetic heart.”
Neil looked around at all the people whose lives he knew nothing about, and grinned. “Nah. You can tell everyone. I think people deserve to know.”
“You sure?” Keith asked, the corners of his mouth twitching.
“Yeah.” Neil nodded. “It's not a problem.”
“Good.” Keith handed Neil his phone. “Because I sent all the lads a snapchat of you musing about the human condition.”
Neil laughed and pretended to throw the phone back at Keith. “I love you, mate.”
Keith nudged Neil with his shoulder.
“Love you, too.”