out of focus

“Once a bartender always a bartender, then?” Hope asked, laughing as she glanced to where he’d just looked. She’d just finished her own turn at manning a booth or three, and had taken to wandering the grounds for a familiar face. “At least this way the youngest customers you’re getting are your somehow stupidly naive students trying to look over 21. Poor Professor Martin has to man the balloon dart game. Tiny brats, with darts.” A faux shudder running through her at the image. She turned her attention back to Josh, pasting a bright grin on her lips. “If I help take orders would you be willing to sneak me a tiny drink? I mean not to brag or anything but I did help resurrect you from the dead and all..”

“old dog, new tricks . . .  ya think that still applies to vampires?”  his face turned thoughtful for a second, before it cracked into a smile.  “hey now.  those stupidly naïve students are your classmates — so be sure to tell them you saw them get rejected by professor rosza.”  josh’s face turned sour almost immediately.  “ugh, that sounds so old.  is it too cliche to pull the ‘call me josh’ card on my students?”  he placed a hand to his chest, as though he was clutching at imaginary pearls.  “hope mikaelson, well i never . . .  okay, well, i really would’ve considered it until you attempted to extort me, you know.”

with a joyous smile davina rushed out from behind the booth to throw her arms around the neck of her best friend. josh’s passing had hurt her, it had taken longer than she had admitted to most to get past it and even as more and more people who had left them reappeared she hadn’t seen him. “even weirder, i’m technically older than you these days,” davina returned teasingly, pulling away with a warm smile, kissing his cheek quickly as she pulled away. if someone had told her this was where they would end up when davina had first met josh it would have seemed impossible. but now, teaching, alive, reunited… it was more normal than she ever thought her life would be.

josh grinned wide as he felt davina’s arms wrap around him.  he returned the favor, pulling her in tight.  this was definitely the one thing he’d missed the most.  he didn’t want to lose it again for the world.  “oh, don’t remind me.  some of us became immortal at the incredibly unfortunate age of twenty.”  when she pulled away, he took a good look at her, truly amazed that he wasn’t staring at the sixteen-year-old girl he’d met so long ago.  “so you’re like, an actual grown-up adult now.  what’s up with that?”

the stories davina had heard about mystic falls hadn’t included all of this. whenever there was a reason, whether it was really all that good or just something the town could grab onto and run with, there would be a celebration of sorts. it really did seem like there was something going on every other week. but davina was definitely happy it was a christmas fair rather than a monster of the week putting people in danger. plus, this was for charity and when asked davina hadn’t been able to say no to helping out. even if it meant standing near seriously tempting treats in the form of warm apple cider and hot chocolates that she couldn’t just keep drinking rather than selling to people. yet, despite being aware of as much davina was sipping on a cup of apple cider, holding the take away mug she had brought with her between her hands to keep them warm as a familiar face appeared in front of the booth and the brunette smiled, “hey, can i get you something to drink?”

josh strolled through the square, taking in all the decorations the kids had put up.  it reminded him of his childhood, back in michigan, with all the small-town-christmas vibes.  back before his parents kicked him out.  it wasn’t exactly a happy memory, but it was simpler, that was for certain.  it was weird being alive again, josh felt.  it had only been a couple years, but magically reappearing in mystic falls?  what was up with that?  he was happy to be back, though.  he had a whole lot of immortal life left to live.  “weird.  last time i checked, i was the dashingly handsome, technically-underage bartender here.”  and he was definitely glad to be back together with davina, especially now that they were both teaching, which was surreal in and of itself.