( video / action )

[waitedforyears]

[ Amy's at work, tending bar and for a Sunday night, the drinks are still flowing freely and there's a sizable crowd.

There's some people hugging, but, well. They're just drunk, right?

Right.

She doesn't mind until someone actually takes her arm when she hands them a drink, pulling her into a hug over the bar. ]

Oi. Stop that. [ A beat. ] What's that all about, then?


[ Backdated to around midnight. Also, feel free to have your character be the one who hugged her. ALL THE HUGS, okay. ]

Comments

[conesoldstober]

[It hasn't been a great week for Howl, and a little liquid courage feels like the best cure for it. He orders a scotch and soda and then is treated with an armful of ginger before he realises what he's doing. Hello there. This evening just improved drastically.]

[waitedforyears]

[ She was only giving him his drink. Hugging was not on the agenda.

But all right. At least he's cute? So, hugging it is. Muffled against his shoulder: ] Seriously, this has got to be a curse, right?

[conesoldstober]

Are you implying that you didn't intend to hug me just now? I am wounded. Deeply.

[waitedforyears]

Yeah, I really really didn't. Not my job description.

[bettercallit]

[ Ignoring the fact that he's hugging a complete stranger, Clint shrugs, a half-hearted gesture, and leans his hip against the edge of the bar. ]

Everyone else was doing it. [ Leaning over, lowering his voice, and speaking as if this is deadly serious, expression never really pulling out of neutral. ] On a scale of one to amazing, how good was it for you?

[waitedforyears]

[ Well. She can roll with it, Amy's nothing if not good at that. ]

The bar was digging into my hips, that's a point deduction right there. Wasn't amazing. [ Equally serious, except for the sudden glint in her eyes. It helps that he's attractive, she'd probably be a lot less amused otherwise. So sue her. ]

[conesoldstober]

It really should be. Imagine the amazing publicity for this place. Come get a drink and our barmaid will hug you! Brilliant.

[waitedforyears]

You can tell my boss, but I'm not a fan of the idea. [ Not that she minds hugging, really. Except some people are smelly and some ugly and some grope-y and she doesn't appreciate it that much. ]

[conesoldstober]

I'll issue a request letter. I couldn't get another one, could I?

[He waves his now empty glass.]

[waitedforyears]

You can get another drink, yeah. [ Another hug, maybe not. We'll see. ] Same again?

[conesoldstober]

Ta very much. And does this one come with a bonus as well?

[iwatchtjhooker]

[Sam's just come in to check on her, see how she's doing. He looks around.]

Um. Some party.

[bettercallit]

[ The fact she's not throwing punches is on his side, but he expects that after working with Natasha, so he can take it. ]

Room for improvements. [ His brow lifts a little, like there's a pretence of hope there. Or it might be genuine, it's hard to tell. ] Want to go again? I'll take this into consideration.

[waitedforyears]

What, you want another hug as well?

[waitedforyears]

[ She comes out behind the bar to say hello to him— and instead ends up stepping into his space and hugging him.

At least it's not a kiss, this time, like on his birthday? ]

Yeah. Think it's a curse. Everyone's snuggling.

[waitedforyears]

[ She might slap him if he got grabby, but considering the City and knowing the hugging's probably a curse?

That's all right. ]

Definitely room for improvement. [ Oh, she likes him. ] All right, but you better step up the game, then.

[conesoldstober]

I wouldn't mind one, no.

[iwatchtjhooker]

[How about that? Sam's hugging her right back, like it's the most natural thing in the world.]

Oh. Um, I see.

[bettercallit]

I'm a fast learner. [ He states it as a fact rather than making a smug song and dance about it, but it's true, he is. It's how he's still alive.

He pushes away from the bar, steps into the space. ] You ready? We're doing this. [ He sounds so dry that it's funny even to him, and he's leaning in, arms opening wide and locking slowly around her. There's no inappropriate touching, and he sighs with his head on her shoulder. ] How's that point deduction looking?

[waitedforyears]

Already told you, not my job description. [ But even so, after she's put the new drink in front of him, she's leaning in, arms around him. Can't really help it. ]

[waitedforyears]

[ That's nice. It's a good hug. Can they keep doing it for a while longer?

She may be putting her head on his shoulder, too. ] Not too bad as far as curses go, right?

[waitedforyears]

That so? [ All right, she'll just wipe her hands on a towel and come out behind the bar, giving him a brief look before grinning, stepping in. ] Right then.

[ This one is considerably better. No bar pressing into her hip, better angle and they fit together well enough. It's comfortable. Or as comfortable as hugging a complete stranger can be, at any rate. ]

Not bad. Not bad at all, yeah.

[iwatchtjhooker]

Uh... no.

[He might just be distracted by the fact this is Amy, who is by any measure an attractive person now cuddled up against him. He's been pretty lonely. So yeah, he'll linger if she will.]

Yeah, um... I came by to see if you were doing okay.

[bettercallit]

Really? [ He lifts his head, but doesn't remove his arms, something resembling a smile threatening to break out. ] You're not just saying that to make me feel better about my poor performance?

[ He really should let go, step back maybe, but she's nice to hug and he doesn't do this often, and it's not as if she's going to tell anyone he knows. ] Not quite amazing. I'll make a note.

[waitedforyears]

[ She'll gladly linger— though how much of that is the curse and how much of it is the fact that she really likes Sam, that isn't quite obvious.

Either way, she isn't really inclined to let go just yet. ]

'm fine. [ A beat. ] Just because, or is there a reason I wouldn't be okay?