doe-meads:
Sundays were good because they were easy — there wasn’t much of a crowd to entertain, which meant she could actually listen to Mary sing as she cleaned up the tables. It was a calm atmosphere, as most of their customers were snuggled at home, spending time with their loved ones after a long week of work. She almost envied them ; she would like to be home too, with her mother, trying to make good use of the free time. Ever since Dorcas started working for the Prewetts and as a bartender, her schedule quickly became packed with activities and work hours. She wasn’t complaining though, not when it provided a paycheck and monetary security for her mother’s doctors visits and medicines. It was the least she could do, the least she could sacrifice.
After finishing up her shift, the brunette finally wandered into the streets, where she spotted a familiar face. As always, it would be rare if Arthur let her walk home alone, or eat alone, for that matter. She appreciated him, for he had been a constant figure in her life as she grew up, raised by a single mother and having to deal with their building’s other residents. Arthur was always nice though, always willing to help. She owed him, owed him for getting her this job ( as a bartender, as a spy ).
“Hey Arthur,” Dorcas greeted, returning his hug. “No fights, no creeps.”
“You ready for dinner?”
the relief could only really double: even though, in truth, arthur did not have the greatest grasp of the extents of the danger that they were in with their line of work, both inside among gangs and outside with the cops, he worried constantly for dorcas anyway mostly because it was second nature for him, because she had become too important in his life, and he was protective of her in ways that even he didn’t understand. were in a better position in life, arthur would have loved to have given her something more secure, something that didn’t taint her smile with anxiety, but that wasn’t the case, so all he could do was offer were these small comforts.
“good to hear it. i’ve been learning moves though, i’m ready to swing if it comes down to it,” and he added a little flex of his arm to accent his brazen words, but he was hardly the strappiest of men, and he knew it. still, arthur was aware of what men could do when they felt the need to defend their loved ones, when they were desperate, he was sure he could be savage in dorcas’ defense. “oh, definitely! aren’t you starving? i’m ready to eat my weight in fried chicken,” he raised the food he was carrying to their eyeline, grinning now. he wasn’t actually a heavy eater, but his meals with dorcas, he tried to eat more than usual, to sort of encourage her to eat more herself. in his family, he was used to being constantly urged to take more, eat more, indulge, he wanted the same for her, make sure she was healthy and happy. “good thing fabian didn’t clean me out tonight or i wouldn’t have been able to buy as much. one of these days, i swear, i’m going to win a million dollars from him.”
