A/N: All usual disclaimers
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Jax pushed open the door of the bar Asma was sitting at. She accidentally sent him a message instead of Jessica reading « I fucked up ! » followed by several messages where she gave Jessica the address of the bar she went to. After a year and so of being sober, the anniversary of her brother Cody was coming soon and suddenly everything in Charming reminded her of him. The gangs.. how she hated the gangs. They were responsible for her brother's death since he was a member of the One-Niners and while she managed to ignore seeing them around, today she couldn't. One of them noticed her shop and came for a tattoo. He offered a lot of bucks and she agreed way before she realized he was one of the Niners. Her blood turned cold and she remained silent for the rest of the day as she proceeded to ink her client. The tattoo artist kept her feelings to herself in order not to make a fuss about a situation that could escalate very quickly. The work lasted three hours but it was a gorgeous one and she was very proud of herself.
It didn't hit her until much later, at the dawn of the day, when she found herself on her own. She decided that she wouldn't race tonight and instead would try to relax. She would buy some of her favorite take-out, would put some music and would maybe watch Netflix. Any other day would have been a good time for her to do so, but tonight wasn't. Tonight she couldn't. Confined in her house, she only saw Death. Every corner of it had a memory with Cody attached to it. Where he used to lay his feet against, the chair he used to sit at when he came home or even any of his stupid pranks he made for her. Cody lost his ways and had blood on his hands but he used to be a good soul, he still kept some parts of that when he tried to rescue his sister from the abusive monster she used to be engaged to. So she couldn't sleep. She couldn't relax and she felt the urge coming. The desperate need for a drink came through and she couldn't fight it anymore. Her throat was dry and couldn't seem to get better. Her heart was bleeding out as if she'd scratched open a wound and without even thinking twice, she went to a bar she wasn't used to. They didn't know her, they wouldn't possibly know she went to AA meetings so they would serve her without questions and this is exactly what happened that evening. She drank. Not enough to get stupid drunk, but enough to know she shouldn't have and feel miserable. So she texted Jessica, in hopes her friend would come find her and shake some sense into her.
« What are you doing here ?' » Her voice was hoarse and raspy due to the high level of alcohol in her veins.
She blinked and looked around for Jessica but it only was Jax. Stiff and worried, the pink haired tattoo artist straightened on her seat as he put his keys on the table and ordered a drink. He sat by her, his icy blue eyes staring at the woman in front of him. He didn't know her very well per say, Jessica spent more time with her. He did know enough to see that she wasn't a threat to his family at all. She inked the name of Jessica on his skin and she inked his name and the boys' name on hers so at least he owed her a little bit of consideration. They occasionally talked and bantered but it never really was that serious. It never was « come pick me up at 3 am in the morning at a bar » kind of relationship and yet here he was, sitting next to her.
« You called for help miss. I am helping. » He said as he ordered a glass of whiskey. As the bartender fetched him his glass, she quietly crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive position and looked at him. He was intimidating her, because of the way he was carrying himself. He looked calm and collected which for Asma wasn't that much of a good sign. She bit her bottom lip and ran her hand through her curly dyed pink locks.
« I didn't call for your help Jax. I am fine. I'll be on my way. » She said as she tried to leave, but he shook his head and grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving the seat. She was intoxicated, how could she even think about going home on her own in that state? He shook his head and had her remain seated while he savored his glass.
« It doesn't matter if it was me or my wife. You sent it to the wrong number anyway. »
« Yeah, I am fucking lucky, mate. » She said as she shrugged her shoulders and leaned against her chair. He looked at her and furrowed his brows. She had quite the mouth on her but he knew it was just a defense mechanism. She couldn't do much aside from sassing her way out so he simply shrugged at it and furrowed his brows quietly.
« Not really miss. You're in trouble with me and you better be fucking honest if you don't want to be in troubles with Jess. What do you think would happen if she walked in and she found you drunk and sorry uh? » He didn't raise his tone, but she didn't need him to. His face said all the words he needed to say. He actually cared for the woman. From all the stories and comments his wife told him since she met Asma, she sounded like a good and honest soul, except with a drinking problem and a harsh past. He could see Jessica wanted to protect her friend and make her feel welcome in this little town and had noticed the efforts made by Asma to keep herself on the right track. She was a good soul, and he could use someone who wasn't in the business but close enough to them to count on her. She had wit, she was funny and she definitely was honest and genuine in her love for his wife.
« She would want to know why I got into troubles, to begin with. » She said, pouting as her hazel eyes stared into his blue ones. He lifted a brow and took several sips of his beverage.
« And why did you drink on the fucking day of your anniversary? You almost made it Azz. You almost made it. » He said taking another sip.
« I know. Don't you think I feel ashamed mate? » She furrowed her brows and clenched her teeth. « Thing is... my brother died today. He was a one Niners. I always told him 'Cody, one day you gonna get fucked and you won't come back from this.' and he always laughed. He always laughed. » She said shrugging her shoulders off. « He died like he lived. I was pissed off on the first year of his death because he was a fucking idiot who got himself killed but then.. then.. two years later I miss him. That's all there is. I fucking miss him. I miss feeling his presence, I miss feeling protected and I am alone. My life is shit because I can't do shit about it Jax. I am miserable and it hit me today. So, I thought, 'you know what? Go grab yourself that drink. It's not as if someone would notice if you weren't there.' kind of shit. » She said, leaning her chin against the back of her hands.
« You missed him, sure, but Azz, you drank and heavily so. » He curbed a bow, making her pout even more and stroke her arms.
« I know. I fucked up. » She closed her eyes and groaned painfully. Her head was banging and she let put her forehead against the back of her hands. He finished his drink and looked at her.
« Yeah, you did. I know how much it takes to someone to actually achieve it. Succeed in being sober and shit. It's a lot of effort, man. It took you a lot of strength to get there and that's how I know you'll get there again. It's okay. I'm taking you back home safely and you will safely tuck yourself to bed young lady. »
« Whowowowowoah! Jax! You're not my dad! Jess might be Mama but you're not my fucking dad! » She said, pouting even harder before she shook her head and yawned. Alcohol was tiring her fast and she leaned against the table again. « I thought you'd hate me you know? » She said as he stood up and grabbed his keys.
« Why would I? You inked Jess and I. You're good to her.»
« That I am. I love her Jax. I love her like a sister I never had. It's funny because when I first met you, I assumed you were very bad people with very bad morals and you couldn't even know what love was. And then you came to my shop and all I saw was a man who loved his woman. You loved her. I wept inside. I wanted a man who looked at me the way you look at her... always dreamed about it, but always got shit, cause I'm shit. So.. I envy you two because you found each other and I am grateful you did because I can witness it and save it somewhere in my brain. » She said as she stumbled and struggled to stand up. Jax held her gently and pushed her forward so she could start walking towards his bike. How on Earth did she think it was a good idea to walk home by herself when she couldn't even stand? Jessica would have freaked out and knowing his wife, would have spent the night next to her until she got better.
« Well.... got lucky I met darlin' you know? She chose Charming and I like to think it wasn't just hazardous but fucking fate you see? Like we had to meet one another. Don't make me say sappy shit like that and don't tell her I said that. »
« My lips are zipped! » She said before she tripped and nearly fell on the floor. He grabbed her by the waist and wrapped a solid arm around her waist and walked towards his bike. « Yours shall be zipped too. She doesn't know I love her this much yet... she might have an idea, but I want to tell her this myself. Do we have a deal? »
« Ahahah yes we do. Now hop on the bike and let me take you to our place. You'd sleep in the guest room and Darlin' would come see you in the morning. »
He was unusually kind tonight. Maybe Jax softened up because she was celebrating her brother's anniversary and was vulnerable. Maybe he softened because she was a friend of Jessica and grew into appreciating him. Maybe he softened because he could see himself in the hopelessness that radiated from her. He couldn't say and he didn't want to know.
Tonight, he simply took a friend home.
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