Invisible Me (Open)

[Alexandra Lawson]

When setting out to find something interesting to do for the evening Alex had found herself wandering around downtown.  A drink to settle her nerves sounded like a good place to start.  At first she considered dipping in to her own place of employment but she didn't really want to hang out where she worked unless she was getting paid.  Her other options seemed just as unappealing.  Gay club.  Lesbian club.  Loud club.  None captured her attention in the right way.  It wasn't until she passed by the small establishment that seemingly refused to die even as the city around it sprouted up and changed did Alex finally resign herself to a decision.

After pushing her way into Matt's Hole in the Wall Alex paused to look around.  She was startlingly out of place in the country bar with the bright pink, wool beanie she was pulling off her head to reveal the brilliantly crimson hair beneath.  She shook out her red locks and checked the tie that kept it in a loose tail.  Her brown eyes swept over the room and its denim clad patrons before crossing over toward the bar and climbing up onto a stool.  "Excuse me."  She called politely, lifting a hand in order to get the bartender's attention.  She received a short, noncommittal nod and then settled in, glancing to the person beside her and offering a faintly awkward and uncomfortable smile.

Alex waited as the bartender moved around, filling orders and chatting up a couple patrons.  She watched in vain as she went unnoticed.  "Excuse me!"  She said, raising her hand again.  This time she didn't even get so much of a nod from the bartender.  With a frown she slumped her shoulders and huffed.  A random patron walked up and barely issued a grunt which seemed to be more than enough to attract the bartender's attention and warrant that guy getting a drink even as Alex sat there watching the exchange with an incredulous look on her face.

What the hell was it with her and not being able to get her hands on alcohol?

[Bucky Hunter]

Bucky didn't really know what prompted him to go to a bar that evening. And one with a country style, no less. Heck, he wasn't even old enough to drink. Not legally anyway; because he knew most of his peers have already tasted some form of liquor one way or another. But he wasn't here to join their ranks (even if he wasn't a goody two shoes, he didn't have much confidence in fooling others of his age anyway). He just wanted a change of scenery, to be away from the things that reminded him of a different time.

That thought alone made him feel older than any drink could. There was something about going through a life changing incident that made one feel like they've lived longer than most.

So maybe that was why most of the patrons left him to himself. That or the fact that they had better things to do than attend to some kid. So he sat there at the bar, alone except for the glass of Pepsi (which the bartender gave with a slight snort) in front of him on the counter. This was until a girl with flaming red hair settled onto the stool next to him. The fanboy inside him screamed Lily Evans but he suppressed that and smiled back awkwardly.

He watched her call for the bartender politely, sulking a little when she was not acknowledged. She looked even more frustrated when some new guy walked straight up and only had to grunt for attention. Bucky returned his gaze to the girl and let out a laugh at her facial expression.

"You won't get his attention looking as cute as you do," he teased before he could stop himself. Hopefully he didn't sound creepy but she did look pretty young. "If it's alcohol you really want, I have some back at my place."

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex eyes narrowed as she glared daggers into the back of the bartender. Part of her wished he would sense the death stare and turn around but she knew damn well if he did so and looked at her she would probably be frozen with fright. The guy was big. Not just big by Alex's standards but actually, legitimately big. Alex didn't fear the bartender or anything, although she was certain, if he wanted to, he could make her flee with just a look.

Slowly, as the words came drifting through the white noise of the bar around them, Alex became acutely aware someone was speaking to her. Her eyes slid slowly to the side and focused upon someone who looked far too young to be in a bar like this. She was about to say this exact thing before she realized she looked far too young to be in a bar like this and reconsidered her choice of words. The last part, the proposition, caused her eyes to widen and her jaw to nearly drop.

"E-excuse me?" Alex stumbled over her incredulous reply. She blinked a few times and actually went so far as to shake her head as if attempting to clear her mind of cobwebs. Had she just heard that? She couldn't truly be sure. Alex wasn't the usual type of girl that found herself hit on or sought after. Ever. She'd always been the sidekick, the best friend of the actual good looking girls. Sure, she had the 'cute' thing going but that usually just attracted creepy old guys with a fetish. Not guys that looked like they just got over the playing in sandboxes with toy trucks phase.

"I'm sorry did you just...?" Alex's mouth abruptly snapped shut. "Are you-?" She huffed, cutting herself off again. She took a breath and decided to try one more time to say waht she really needed to have said. "What?"

[Bucky Hunter]

Bucky furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as the woman began her reply. Her voice held more than a tinge of disbelief he wondered if he had somehow offended her. Was it something I said? She blinked and shook her head, making the boy feel even more lost. Most people would consider him a nice guy and that wasn't without reason. Maybe her loss for words was due to another fact? Hesitantly, he reached out to touch her arm. "Hey, miss, are you okay?"

She kept cutting her sentences short but finally took a deep breath to say one word. "What?"

"What, what?" he responded. The boy blinked back a couple of times too before his mind finally registered the situation. His blue eyes grew wide and heat rose rapidly to his cheeks. What the hell? "Oh my gosh, no! No, no, no, no, no." He probably sounded just as flustered as she did but it was like he couldn't say it enough. Was that really the vibe he gave off? "I swear, I'm not hitting on you or whatever. You're cute, but not that cute. And probably way too old for me anyway."

He bit down on his tongue before he could say anything worse--if that was still possible. Why he sounded so defensive, he didn't know. But he couldn't just let something think he was trying to "pick them up". That wasn't even legal for him! The embarrassment irked him a little. Unable to meet her eyes, he focused on his Pepsi, gripping the glass with both hands. "Jeez, lady... You looked upset, I was trying to be nice. My parents don't lock up their liquor but there's nobody home to drink it anyway. Sorry." He muttered this last part slightly bitterly under his breath and sipped his drink. His face still felt hot though no matter how much he willed it not to. She just had to assume something else.

---

notes: sorry for the wait!

[Alexandra Lawson]

It took Alex a few moments of stunned silence for what was really going on to finally sink in. She had thought this kid was hitting on her in a rather blunt fashion an it had done more to shock and surprise her than offend or annoy. With a furrowed brow her head shook as she let it all process in her mind before turning her attention back to the young man. "Oh." She said as more than a hint of sheepish embarrassment began to seep into her features. She didn't suspect her boyfriend would care too much for her accepting offers to go back to guys' houses for drinks while their parents weren't home, regardless of how weird that whole thing sounded to her. She was 22 years old and had her own place. Her parents didn't even live in the same state.

"Lady?" Alex snapped out of her mental debate and looked to Bucky with an almost incredulous expression on her face. "I'm twenty-two." She protested with a hint of a whine creeping its way into her voice. "I'm still a girl." A frowned touched her lips and she actually gave a pout with her arms folding defiantly across her chest and her lower lip even stuck out a bit. "I'm not a lady yet." She replied, the perceived slight and even the offer to go to Bucky's house now long forgotten by the manic, redheaded pixie.

[Bucky Hunter]

Her response was short and sheepish. Bucky didn't know who was more embarrassed by their misunderstanding. He didn't normally hit on people; it wasn't his forte. He'd usually spend these nights blogging on Tumblr or playing a video game or something. But he supposed his offer was a little odd. Who invited strangers from a bar to their home for a drink without some ulterior motive, right? Maybe he was strange after all for not even considering that possibility. Most boys his age would jump at the chance to sleep with an older girl. But to him, it was just... ew, he wasn't even of age yet.

He turned his head to look at Alex as she got somewhat defensive. Hearing her claim she was still a girl in that whiny little voice made him laugh. And she pouted too! "I don't doubt that," he finally replied when his laughter died down, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. If this was an anime, he would've patted the top of her head. But he didn't, of course. "My, my, I heard redheads were feisty... Well, if you insist, what's a cute young girl doing alone at a bar in the first place?" He curved one side of his mouth in a sly grin and raised an eyebrow. "I'd hate to interrupt if you are here to pick up guys--or girls."

[Alexandra Lawson]

And now it was Alex's turn to feel awkward and out of sorts. The young man's response had made Alex feel a little guilty she'd responded the way she had and she let out a sigh. Sometimes she felt as though she simply wasn't any good at this whole 'bar hopping' thing. She overreacted to some things, underreacted to others and generally didn't know what she was doing when it came to ordering drinks or talking to strangers. Hell, she even had trouble staying up on the bar stools from time to time while she was sober.

"Me?" Alex's eyes widened and she shook her head. A laugh escaped and she waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, no. I have a boyfriend. I wouldn't know the first thing about how to pick up guys, or girls, anyway." She sighed a bit and shrugged. "The last guy I tried to hit on actually screamed like a little girl and ran away." She said bluntly. "You should have seen him, huddled in the corner of his room. Not my proudest moment."

Alex shot the bartender a contemptuous glare. "I'm just here to have a drink. Or, well, I'm trying." She waved a hand toward the bartender. "Hello?" She called. When she found herself largely ignored again she couldn't contain her frustration. "Oh come on!" She shouted as she brought her fist down onto the bartop. Alex's face lit up from the orange glow of a short gout of fire that erupted in front of her. It quickly dissipated, a handful of sparks floating harmlessly into the air before vanishing, but it was more than enough to get all the wrong kind of attention. Alex simply sat there in a stunned silence, eyes wide as she was now being stared at by the other patrons. After a brief moment Alex turned to the bartender and cleared her throat.

"Can I get an appletini please?"