AnimeGenork
The Duck Overlord
“Another one, Cole, my man. Got to ease the pain,” Castiel Valdez slurred, placing his empty shot glass in front of him and resting his chin on the paneled wood of the bar. His friend, Coleson McKinney, was working behind the bar, wiping down an empty glass, more for appearance than for the sake of actually cleaning the glass. Cassy had come to visit him after a long day working on his precious flower garden. Sometimes, you just needed a good ol’ shot of cold hard alcohol to help keep you grounded.
Oh, man, he was hanging out with Cole too much.
Cole raised an eyebrow at him. “I hate to break this to you, Cassy, but as your friend and friendly neighborhood bartender, I’m going to have to cut you off.”
Cassy glared up at him. “Why?”
Leaning an elbow on the bar, Cole bent down so he was eye level with Cassy. “Because, Cassy, when you get this drunk, I have to carry you home. And stay by your side all night.” Both of his eyebrows lifted high up on his forehead, and Cassy knew, even through his addled brain, that Cole was right. Maybe cutting him off was for the best.
Pressing his face into the bar, Cassy mumbled, “I just don’t know what to do, Cole.”
“About being in love with your best friend but not being able to tell her because you’re a playboy and that could potentially ruin any type of relationship you might want with her?”
“Uh… yeah. That. Wait. How did you know?” Cassy lifted his face, glancing at Cole with narrowed eyes.
Cole looked away with a grin. “I know exactly how you feel.”
Oh. Duh.
Cassy sighed. “We’re a couple of sorry excuses for men, aren’t we?” he grumbled, running his finger along the rim of his shot glass.
“We’re exactly like every other man in love, my friend—we’re avoiding our problems by turning to alcohol. I can’t count how many shots I’ve had tonight.” Cole slid a couple of shots toward a pair of girls waiting at the other end of the bar. They giggled at the wink he sent them, and Cassy saw in his eyes that he was indeed intoxicated.
“How the hell do you manage that?” Cassy asked.
“When you work in a bar, Cassy, you have all the tolerance in the world,” Cole replied, sending another wink toward a boy who walked by. Man, he was good. “Cassy, my dear friend, get on out there. I’m sure I’m not the only one in this bar who finds you attractive.”
Cassy rolled his eyes, but he spun around on his barstool and stood up anyway. At least he wasn’t drunk enough to be incapable of flirting. He checked his belt to make sure his pouch of flowers was still there—it was quite possible he would need to employ his usual cheesy-but-endearing methods. The language of flowers was surprisingly effective when trying to win a lady over.
Or… maybe not. As soon as Cassy stood up, he felt dizzy. Of course, this was probably because he’d stood up too fast while his brain was addled. It also didn’t help that the music was pulsing through his head without the distraction of conversation. He glanced back at Cole, who stuck his tongue out and pointed into the crowd. “Go,” he mouthed.
Melting into the crowd, Cassy searched the faces around him for someone he could talk to. There was no denying that everyone here had something attractive about them—a cute dimple in their cheek, a lip piercing, long eyelashes, the features were endless. Dammit, this was harder than Cole had made it sound. It had been far too long since Cassy had done this. Wasn’t it back in Spain when he’d last searched the crowd for someone to flirt with?
A flash of a smile caught his eye, and he turned to see a lovely girl sitting in a corner booth, leaning her chin on her hand as she watched the crowd dancing. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that intrigued him, but her smile reminded him of someone.
Of Rafael.
All the more reason to flirt with her, then. Cassy slid into the booth seat across from her. “Sorry to interrupt your deep thinking, but I’m afraid I am quite intoxicated and required the use of a seat.” Even as he spoke, he felt the bass pounding through his head. He hoped he wasn’t going to get a headache.
The girl leaned back in her seat, a grin dancing on her lips as she met his gaze. “It’s no trouble at all. I love your accent. Where are you from?”
“Outside Barcelona.”
“Ah, a Spaniard! What’s your opinion on American football?”
“It is a farce of a sport. The only true futbol is that of Spain.”
She laughed. How was it that one woman could so perfectly embody both loves of his life? This was painful. And he couldn’t even think straight.
Cassy lifted a hand to his forehead. “I need to stop thinking so much.”
His companion interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them. “What are you thinking so hard about?”
He grinned at her, though it was a little crooked from the building headache he had. “How to win you over.”
She laughed. “Aren’t you bold.”
“I try.”
“What’s that you got around your waist?” she asked, pointing to his pouch.
“Ah, this is a bag of magic tricks. I grew them myself.” He reached inside his pouch and pulled out a white carnation. “Straight from the garden of Eden to you.” With a smile, Cassy handed it to the girl. “A clavel for you.”
She smiled. “It’s beautiful. You really grow them yourself?”
“That I do. In fact, I…” Dizziness swept over him again, and he wondered if maybe he should’ve gone straight home rather than try to pursue anyone. His headache screeched through his head, and he shut his eyes, trying to fend it off, to no avail.
Dammit, Cole, this is all your fault, he thought, right before he passed out.
Cassy opened his eyes to a pair of gorgeous hazel eyes hovering over him. He blinked, and then he as able to make out the face that went along with them. “Avril?” he croaked, putting a hand to his head. The headache had somehow gotten worse. But at least he was back home and not passed out in the bar. Speaking of which, how had he gotten home?
Avie handed him a glass of water, which he gulped greedily. “Cole brought you home. He said he saw you pass out while talking to someone. Are you alright, Cassy?” The lilt of her French accent soothed his headache, and Cassy’s lips turned up in a smile. How he loved her voice.
“I’m fine, Azucena,” he assured her.
“Looks like Mr. Smooth is finally awake.”
Cassy’s eyes struggled to focus on Cole, who sat in an armchair across from the couch he was lying on. His eyebrows raised as he recognized Nomika’s head on his lap. She was fast asleep, but that was no surprise, considering her narcolepsy. Meeting his gaze, Cole winked. He looked a little too pleased. Cassy quipped, “I may be awake, but you’re the one who’s on Cloud Nine.”
Cole shrugged. “Guilty as charged. They were worried about us. Mostly you, but apparently Nomika’s able to tell when I’m drunk.” He smiled down at the girl sleeping on his lap. Their friendship was quite the same as Cassy and Avie’s, but like them, they understood each other better than the rest of their friends.
Avie interjected, “Do you need anything, Cassy? More water?”
“No, Azucena, I’m fine, thank you. Your smile is enough.” He nearly flinched at how cliché he sounded, but Avie's smile widened.
Cole checked his phone. “How about that. It’s Valentine’s Day. Woop-dee-doo.” Though his tone was anything but excited, he was smiling, his hand gently running through Nomika’s hair.
The idea of the holiday dedicated to love made Cassy nervous to look at Avie. She had seen him passed out from drunkenness—that was the opposite of romantic! Now he definitely couldn’t give her any lilies; she would only see his drunken ass passed out on the couch. Dammit!
“Hey, Cassy, didn’t you have something you wanted to give Avie today?” Cole singsonged, a damningly teasing smile on his face. Cassy shot him a glare, but Cole just raised his eyebrows. Nomika started and lifted her head, watching Cassy with bleary eyes.
Avie gave him a puzzled look, and then she looked back down at Cassy, who was racking his brain, trying to get out of it. Then he sighed. “Cole, you’ll have to get it for me.”
“With pleasure.” Cole stood up (causing Nomika to look up at him like a puppy whose owner is leaving the house) and left the room. A few moments later, he came back with a bouquet of lilies. He handed it to Cassy, who couldn’t resist sniffing them. They were still fresh—but then, he’d arranged the bouquet today.
“For you, Azucena. A bouquet of white azucenas.” From the moment Cassy had met Avie, he had known that the white lily had fit her perfectly—in the language of flowers, it represented purity, and Avie was the purest soul he had ever met. It was one of the many reasons he loved her, not that she would ever know. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Azucena.”
Cole sat down on the floor beside Nomika, grinning at him. Nomika slumped against him, her head on his shoulder, but she was smiling as well. Was it just Cassy, or were they holding hands?
Avie’s smile could have lit up the entire Milky Way galaxy. She gently caressed the flowers of the many lilies which Cassy had grown himself in his rooftop garden. The ribbon wrapped around their stems was a pale orange, her favorite color. He had not included a card, though he’d considered it. What better time than Valentine’s Day to confess your true feelings? But he supposed there would be another opportunity. It was worth it to see the expression on her face.
Cassy met Cole’s eyes again, and they exchanged a small smile. Although they were both cowards and could not bring themselves to tell their best friends about their feelings, they had somehow managed to make both girls happy on the most important day for love. Apparently all they had to do was get drunk for it to happen… not that Cassy wanted to repeat the experience.
After a few moments, Avie lifted her head and met Cassy’s eyes. Her hazel eyes were shining like the city lights outside the window, and he reached out one hand to cup her cheek. She leaned into his touch and, in her beautiful, beautiful voice, murmured, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Cassy.”
And it was.
Oh, man, he was hanging out with Cole too much.
Cole raised an eyebrow at him. “I hate to break this to you, Cassy, but as your friend and friendly neighborhood bartender, I’m going to have to cut you off.”
Cassy glared up at him. “Why?”
Leaning an elbow on the bar, Cole bent down so he was eye level with Cassy. “Because, Cassy, when you get this drunk, I have to carry you home. And stay by your side all night.” Both of his eyebrows lifted high up on his forehead, and Cassy knew, even through his addled brain, that Cole was right. Maybe cutting him off was for the best.
Pressing his face into the bar, Cassy mumbled, “I just don’t know what to do, Cole.”
“About being in love with your best friend but not being able to tell her because you’re a playboy and that could potentially ruin any type of relationship you might want with her?”
“Uh… yeah. That. Wait. How did you know?” Cassy lifted his face, glancing at Cole with narrowed eyes.
Cole looked away with a grin. “I know exactly how you feel.”
Oh. Duh.
Cassy sighed. “We’re a couple of sorry excuses for men, aren’t we?” he grumbled, running his finger along the rim of his shot glass.
“We’re exactly like every other man in love, my friend—we’re avoiding our problems by turning to alcohol. I can’t count how many shots I’ve had tonight.” Cole slid a couple of shots toward a pair of girls waiting at the other end of the bar. They giggled at the wink he sent them, and Cassy saw in his eyes that he was indeed intoxicated.
“How the hell do you manage that?” Cassy asked.
“When you work in a bar, Cassy, you have all the tolerance in the world,” Cole replied, sending another wink toward a boy who walked by. Man, he was good. “Cassy, my dear friend, get on out there. I’m sure I’m not the only one in this bar who finds you attractive.”
Cassy rolled his eyes, but he spun around on his barstool and stood up anyway. At least he wasn’t drunk enough to be incapable of flirting. He checked his belt to make sure his pouch of flowers was still there—it was quite possible he would need to employ his usual cheesy-but-endearing methods. The language of flowers was surprisingly effective when trying to win a lady over.
Or… maybe not. As soon as Cassy stood up, he felt dizzy. Of course, this was probably because he’d stood up too fast while his brain was addled. It also didn’t help that the music was pulsing through his head without the distraction of conversation. He glanced back at Cole, who stuck his tongue out and pointed into the crowd. “Go,” he mouthed.
Melting into the crowd, Cassy searched the faces around him for someone he could talk to. There was no denying that everyone here had something attractive about them—a cute dimple in their cheek, a lip piercing, long eyelashes, the features were endless. Dammit, this was harder than Cole had made it sound. It had been far too long since Cassy had done this. Wasn’t it back in Spain when he’d last searched the crowd for someone to flirt with?
A flash of a smile caught his eye, and he turned to see a lovely girl sitting in a corner booth, leaning her chin on her hand as she watched the crowd dancing. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that intrigued him, but her smile reminded him of someone.
Of Rafael.
All the more reason to flirt with her, then. Cassy slid into the booth seat across from her. “Sorry to interrupt your deep thinking, but I’m afraid I am quite intoxicated and required the use of a seat.” Even as he spoke, he felt the bass pounding through his head. He hoped he wasn’t going to get a headache.
The girl leaned back in her seat, a grin dancing on her lips as she met his gaze. “It’s no trouble at all. I love your accent. Where are you from?”
“Outside Barcelona.”
“Ah, a Spaniard! What’s your opinion on American football?”
“It is a farce of a sport. The only true futbol is that of Spain.”
She laughed. How was it that one woman could so perfectly embody both loves of his life? This was painful. And he couldn’t even think straight.
Cassy lifted a hand to his forehead. “I need to stop thinking so much.”
His companion interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them. “What are you thinking so hard about?”
He grinned at her, though it was a little crooked from the building headache he had. “How to win you over.”
She laughed. “Aren’t you bold.”
“I try.”
“What’s that you got around your waist?” she asked, pointing to his pouch.
“Ah, this is a bag of magic tricks. I grew them myself.” He reached inside his pouch and pulled out a white carnation. “Straight from the garden of Eden to you.” With a smile, Cassy handed it to the girl. “A clavel for you.”
She smiled. “It’s beautiful. You really grow them yourself?”
“That I do. In fact, I…” Dizziness swept over him again, and he wondered if maybe he should’ve gone straight home rather than try to pursue anyone. His headache screeched through his head, and he shut his eyes, trying to fend it off, to no avail.
Dammit, Cole, this is all your fault, he thought, right before he passed out.
~ ~ ~
Cassy opened his eyes to a pair of gorgeous hazel eyes hovering over him. He blinked, and then he as able to make out the face that went along with them. “Avril?” he croaked, putting a hand to his head. The headache had somehow gotten worse. But at least he was back home and not passed out in the bar. Speaking of which, how had he gotten home?
Avie handed him a glass of water, which he gulped greedily. “Cole brought you home. He said he saw you pass out while talking to someone. Are you alright, Cassy?” The lilt of her French accent soothed his headache, and Cassy’s lips turned up in a smile. How he loved her voice.
“I’m fine, Azucena,” he assured her.
“Looks like Mr. Smooth is finally awake.”
Cassy’s eyes struggled to focus on Cole, who sat in an armchair across from the couch he was lying on. His eyebrows raised as he recognized Nomika’s head on his lap. She was fast asleep, but that was no surprise, considering her narcolepsy. Meeting his gaze, Cole winked. He looked a little too pleased. Cassy quipped, “I may be awake, but you’re the one who’s on Cloud Nine.”
Cole shrugged. “Guilty as charged. They were worried about us. Mostly you, but apparently Nomika’s able to tell when I’m drunk.” He smiled down at the girl sleeping on his lap. Their friendship was quite the same as Cassy and Avie’s, but like them, they understood each other better than the rest of their friends.
Avie interjected, “Do you need anything, Cassy? More water?”
“No, Azucena, I’m fine, thank you. Your smile is enough.” He nearly flinched at how cliché he sounded, but Avie's smile widened.
Cole checked his phone. “How about that. It’s Valentine’s Day. Woop-dee-doo.” Though his tone was anything but excited, he was smiling, his hand gently running through Nomika’s hair.
The idea of the holiday dedicated to love made Cassy nervous to look at Avie. She had seen him passed out from drunkenness—that was the opposite of romantic! Now he definitely couldn’t give her any lilies; she would only see his drunken ass passed out on the couch. Dammit!
“Hey, Cassy, didn’t you have something you wanted to give Avie today?” Cole singsonged, a damningly teasing smile on his face. Cassy shot him a glare, but Cole just raised his eyebrows. Nomika started and lifted her head, watching Cassy with bleary eyes.
Avie gave him a puzzled look, and then she looked back down at Cassy, who was racking his brain, trying to get out of it. Then he sighed. “Cole, you’ll have to get it for me.”
“With pleasure.” Cole stood up (causing Nomika to look up at him like a puppy whose owner is leaving the house) and left the room. A few moments later, he came back with a bouquet of lilies. He handed it to Cassy, who couldn’t resist sniffing them. They were still fresh—but then, he’d arranged the bouquet today.
“For you, Azucena. A bouquet of white azucenas.” From the moment Cassy had met Avie, he had known that the white lily had fit her perfectly—in the language of flowers, it represented purity, and Avie was the purest soul he had ever met. It was one of the many reasons he loved her, not that she would ever know. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Azucena.”
Cole sat down on the floor beside Nomika, grinning at him. Nomika slumped against him, her head on his shoulder, but she was smiling as well. Was it just Cassy, or were they holding hands?
Avie’s smile could have lit up the entire Milky Way galaxy. She gently caressed the flowers of the many lilies which Cassy had grown himself in his rooftop garden. The ribbon wrapped around their stems was a pale orange, her favorite color. He had not included a card, though he’d considered it. What better time than Valentine’s Day to confess your true feelings? But he supposed there would be another opportunity. It was worth it to see the expression on her face.
Cassy met Cole’s eyes again, and they exchanged a small smile. Although they were both cowards and could not bring themselves to tell their best friends about their feelings, they had somehow managed to make both girls happy on the most important day for love. Apparently all they had to do was get drunk for it to happen… not that Cassy wanted to repeat the experience.
After a few moments, Avie lifted her head and met Cassy’s eyes. Her hazel eyes were shining like the city lights outside the window, and he reached out one hand to cup her cheek. She leaned into his touch and, in her beautiful, beautiful voice, murmured, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Cassy.”
And it was.
Word Count: 1828
Coding by
AnimeGenork
AnimeGenork
Castiel "Cassy"
Coleson "Cole"
Avril "Avie"
Naomi "Nomika"