@fyrtarnย ยท /ย ยทย ๐๐๐๐๐๐ & ๐๐๐๐ ยท *ย
Adrian had gotten good at pretending the noise didnโt get to him. Nights like this โ when the bar floor throbbed with bass from the speakers and the air carried too much sweat, spilled beer, and cigarette smoke from the alley outside โ he found his rhythm. Glasses lined up, bottles cracked open, orders shouted, money pocketed. Efficient. Controlled. If he kept his hands busy, the chaos stayed on the other side of the counter.
But then there was Rina.
Her band had rolled in the way they always did โ half swagger, half storm โ filling the stage with sound that was less about perfection and more about release. Adrian had watched her set from his corner of the bar without ever admitting to himself he was watching. He knew all of her cues by now: the way she tilts her head when she was about to launch into something reckless, how she always closes her eyes for just a second too long when the guitar hit its peak, like she was somewhere else entirely.
Now she was here, cutting a path through the crowd like she owned the place, eyeliner smudged and guitar strap still hanging loose around her shoulder as if she couldnโt be bothered to put it down. She reached the counter and leaned in without hesitation, already smirking at him like she knew sheโd get a rise out of it.
Adrian beat her to it.
โ ๐๐จ. ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฒโ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ. โ The words came out smooth, faintly mocking, stealing her favorite jab before she had the chance to land it. His mouth tugged into a half-smile, the kind that suggested he knew exactly what he was doing.
Without waiting for her request, he slid a glass of water across the polished surface, condensation already beading on the rim. Heโd learned after the first few gigs: Rina never asked for water until she absolutely needed it, and Adrian wasnโt about to drag her off the floor if she passed out.
โ ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ? โ he added, voice pitched low so only she could hear over the music.
For a second his expression softened, quiet concern flickering beneath the smirk, though he covered it quickly by reaching for another bottle.
โ ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ก ๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ญ. โ
He raised a brow at her then, daring her to push back, already bracing for whatever filterless comeback sheโd throw his way. Because that was Rina โ loud, defiant, unshakable. And Adrian, against his better judgment, always found himself waiting to see what sheโd say next.















