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The Half Moon Bar (MellowYellow x Poppy)

When Lars awoke, he felt a lingering stiffness in his muscles. With their fun the night before, he was a little sore. But it was the refreshing kind of soreness, one of satisfaction from a job well done. He yawned as he rose into a seating position, aware that he was alone in Sabrina's plush bed. "Huh. So that's what that feels like," he remarked, frowning at the realisation. Well, that wasn't nice at all.

After some moments, he slid out of bed and made his way out toward the kitchen. He made no move to cover himself, not with Sabrina having seen everything already. And the only clothes he had were his beach garments from yesterday. "Morning my dear," he said, a note of delight in his tone as he smelled breakfast. "I'll really have to bring some of my stuff over. I feel like a vagrant this morning."
 
“I guess you’re right there.” Sabrina paused in her cooking to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “There’s coffee brewed over there.” She motioned with her head, as her hands were too busy tending to the food. The shewolf certainly could appreciate the sight of her lover so early in the morning, and was fairly certain that she spotted a good length of morning wood on him if her eyes didn’t deceive her.

“After all, today you get to do the walk of shame in your clothes. I uh….” She paused, looking away from him and back to the food. “I happen to have some of Dimitri’s old clothing. Couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. But I think you’ll find it a bit snug….he certainly wasn’t as muscled as you are. About the same height.” Sabrina didn’t want to see the look on his face, hoping she didn’t upset him. A few more moments, and she had everything on platters, going to sit it at the small round table and take a seat herself.
 
Lars took a seat with a freshly made cup of coffee, sipping slightly at the rich dark liquid. He supposed he wasn't surprised that she had a few of her exes things around here, all things considered. "Well... I wouldn't be against borrowing some trousers, I suppose. It does look like a chilly day for my old legs," he said, trying to bring in a little levity. He couldn't imagine it was easy to talk aboit her ex without thinking on what happened.

He decided to change the topic quickly. "Well uh... If there's no issue, I could bring some of my things over today. I really didn't pack a whole lot when I was shipped off," Lars explained. It only made sense if he was going to be doing the whole 'father' thing.
 
“Just don’t sit down when you wear them. You’ll certainly bust them through.” Sabrina laughed. “You’re much more...muscled than he was.” Sabrina cleared her throat, wanting to move on. She had already settled that Dimitri’s items would have to go into storage, or donated. After all, there would need to be room for Lars’ things. And babies tended to need space. She had things from her last pregnancy, but they were in storage, in the attic. It seemed that she would have to send Lars up to fetch some items one day.

“I think that makes sense...just where have you been staying? You’ll probably want to pick up some things to feel more at home here. Maybe a body wash other than wisteria.” Sabrina asked, going to take a sip of her coffee, happy to steer the conversation in another way.
 
Lars hummed in thought. "Little hotel, run by an old orc lady. Nice woman, shabby housekeeping though," he replied. "I'm a simple man with simple needs, so I didn't bother looking for anything fancy. Hah... it's funny, if it wasn't so close to here, we might now have even met," he said. It was a sad prospect, when he stopped to dwell on it. How lucky he was, he doubted other bartenders would have been so foxy.

"Either way, I'm going to be sure to take my things over... while I'm sure you appreciate the view, I can't lounge like this all day," he teased, taking a long sip of his own coffee. "And I'll have to learn how to properly pour a beer. Can't have you tending bar while you're pregnant, right?" he said.
 
“Ah. I know just the hole in the wall.” Sabrina nodded, having been there a few times in her life. “Royal Palms, right? Has a garden gnome decoration theme….not too sure about that one. I think the old lady is beginning to slip a bit mentally. Thinks the thing really appeals to humans.” She shrugged, running a hand through her hair before going to start eating, focusing on her meat more than the pancakes. Her ears flicked in delight.

Sabrina laughed a bit, “You’re not wrong there. Would be nice for you to be like this all day, but I do have to open the bar today.” She sighed, sitting back in her chair. “I certainly can tend a bar and be pregnant...but I guess it mostly depends on what the doctor says. Made an appointment. Earliest they can see me is in 3 weeks. But considering they’re one of the only in the city that’s willing to serve everyone...well, can’t be picky.” Sabrina imagined herself pouring a beer with a swollen belly. He did have a point. It would be hell to reach over the bar.
 
"Well, you know... orcs," Lars said, shrugging slightly. They tended to be a bit on the strange side, and were likely the most awkward when it came to adapting to human culture and society. Well, them and trolls. But trolls were more violent by default. He ate slowly and mannerly, listening to the she-wolf as she explained her issues in getting in touch with a working hospital.

"Take what you can get, I suppose. I'll go with you on the day," he said, managing a slim smile. It was definitely going to a bizarre experience, and a new one for him, but Lars didn't back down. Having polished off breakfast, he slowly licked his lips clean and proceeded to stretch his arms over his head. "I'll be sure to slow down my own work in that case. And I'll have to make greater efforts to make sure none of those bloodsuckers manage to ID me."
 
“You know…” Sabrina paused, putting her utensils down and lacing her fingers together. She rested her elbows on the table, placing her chin on the back of her hands. Her ruby eyes were focused on him, intently watching him. “...you’ve never given me much in the way of details regarding your job here in Bay City.”

She took a deep breath, to strengthen her resolve. “So, what is it that brought you here. Precisely. Just so if anything goes sideways, I can have a heads up. The bar is a neutral zone, but some idiots might think that if you stay here, it negates the agreement. So...just so you know.” She pulled back to sit against the back of her chair, glancing out the window.
 
"You really want to know?" he asked, seeming mildly surprised at the request. "Well.... as you can imagine, my clan is involved in a few illicit things. Primarily drug trafficking with a preference toward opiates. We were looking to expand to the Americas, and cut a deal with a vampire clan, giving them a healthy supply of opiates in exchange for a 'security deposit' of money from them. After that we would evenly divide profits of the sales."

He polished off the last of his breakfast and smiled slightly. Lars had to admit, she was a hell of a cook. "But they reneged. After they had the supply they attacked our representatives and managed to get away, fleeing back here to Bay City." Lars shrugged. "So my job, ultimately, is to distribute karma. Disrupt their operation, take back as much of the stolen supply as I can find and... hurt a fair few of the fanged bastards."
 
“That’s what I was afraid you would say.” Sabrina sighed, returning to eating. “Let’s hope that karma doesn’t come back around and a bunch of fanged dipshits come around wanting to see how drow blood tastes. I’m not afraid to fight for you, but I would rather hope that it wouldn’t come to that.”

“Well, might as well go ahead and start bringing things home, love.” Sabrina started to devour her pancakes. “I’ll open up the bar to some day drinkers, just put your things anywhere for now. Any clothing that you might fit will be in the back of the closet, okay?” She paused to sip her coffee.
 
The next week and a half went by in relative bliss. Much of that time was spent with Lars moving his things in, settling his bill with the hotel, and learning how to handle the bar for when Sabrina couldn't handle the work. But, throughout, he hadn't forgotten his task. Dealing with the debtors was his main reason for coming out here, and the clan wouldn't let him leave until he had done much of the work. Still, he felt he was making good progress.

Tonight had been different, however. His intrusion, attacking another group of dealers, had taken a sharp turn when one of their 'managers' arrived. An elder vampire, much stronger than his younger kin. And while Lars had won in the end, it had not been without great difficulty and pain on his part.

The drow stuck to the shadows, his breathing heavily as he mentally traced the backstreets toward Half Moon. Sabrina wasn't going to like this. His battle with the elder had left his chest rather bruised, a bloodied series of clawmarks raking over his left shoulder through the torn fabric of his shirt. A large black lump had swollen in his forehead, while a trickle of blood oozed from the left corner of his moth.

Every part of him ached. But he soldiered on, quietly making his way through the dark streets until he found the back door of the bar. Struggling, he gave it a hard knock. For added measure, he slipped his phone from his pocket and quickly sent a text message her way: 'at ttthe backdor.' Not his best work but his vision was swaying.
 
Sabrina found it refreshing to have someone around her in the bar. She knew that her loneliness was causing her to drink more before Lars’ arrival, but now she had him to keep her company. And having someone to cook for was already a bonus. The shewolf didn’t realize that this was what she needed until she woke up one morning, bright and early before Lars, laying in bed and watching him. An odd sense of contentment swelled in her heart as she reached down to stroke her swelling belly.

Werewolves carried for 7 months versus 9, probably a good reason that their numbers were large. After all, it was quicker to breed a werewolf pup than any other supernatural creature. Add to that the factor that wolves tended to have litters, it all added up to a very busy future on the horizon for the couple. Not to mention that due to being with child, she was starting to run hotter than her normal temperature. Ended up making her quite the comfortable bed mate for her cold blooded drow lover.

The shewolf was tending bar, wearing her typical outfit with some modifications. Instead of heels, she wore knee high boots in black with various straps, finding them to be more comfortable. For the time being, she still wore crop tops, proud of her little pot belly that was beginning to form. Lars had to go out for the evening to deal with clan business, something that set her on edge. Perhaps it was the foreboding storm outside, lightning cracking every few minutes. The bar was rather dead this evening, with the same drunk Russian wizard at her bar.

If it wouldn’t have been for the text, she would have never been aware of what was going on with Lars. She opened her phone to read the strange message, walking to the back of her bar and undoing the security bar on the door. One could never be too careful. The shewolf then unlocked the door and opened it to see the sight of her lover, ruby eyes growing wide in fear.

“Lars….?” Sabrina’s voice was surprisingly vulnerable as she moved to help him inside and out of the rain. “Larzhan!!” She was doing her best not to panic, ears laid flat in distress as she helped him limp over to a ratty couch in the back of her bar. It was useful to toss drunks onto that needed a place to lay down while they waited for a ride.
 
He gave a small grimace as a good deal of his weight was taken onto Sabrina's shoulder. "You should see the other guy," he said, trying to play it off. He had taken worse lumps in his lifetime, but he could definitely see she was worried about him. It was a strange new experience, but it felt quite nice. Though making her worry was, in itself, awful. He felt his body falling into the couch, a small sigh easing out of him.

"Knew I should have learned more healing magic," he remarked, taking the time to rub the corner of his mouth clean with his left hand. The taste of iron lingered in his mouth. "One of them got the drop on me, an elder vamp... stronger and faster than I anticipated. Nearly bit me too," he said. But the broken teeth in his left pocket were a testament to how poorly that had worked out for the bloodsucker.

"I... Didn't want to worry you, and I apologise for that... but I couldn't risk a hospital. Too far, and I would have had to sit still while they tried to get my scent..."
 
“If I saw the other guy and he was still breathing, I would certainly start to call plenty of things into question.” Sabrina looked down to her lover, hands on her hips. She did her best to assess his injuries before going to grab the first aid kit that she kept in case of bar fights.

“It’s too late to worry me now.” The she wolf sounded terse as she grabbed up a broken stool and dragged it over to him. She popped open the box, a look of fear and mild panic clear on her face. While she was an excellent cook, she was terrible at playing nurse.

“Okay...I don’t have too much here. But it will have to do….can’t call the medic to come here. If the gang finds out that you came here…” She trailed off as she pulled out a pair of scissors and cut off his shirt to see how badly he had been hurt. In a moment of panic, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, licking up the traces of blood on his plum skin.

“Lars, baby….I need you to walk me through this.” The determined she wolf was doing her best not to shake.
 
"I've done an... assessment of myself. No internal injuries, fortunately, but the scars need to be dealt with." Lars watched as his bloodstained shirt was tossed aside, giving a glipse of the clawmarks that had been cut into his chest. The damage seemed focused on his abdomen and his right shoulder, the scarlet drying into the dark purple surface of his skin.

"What we need to do first..." he tapped the bottle of disinfectant "Is clean the wounds to prevent an infection. Not much, but it stings a lot either way," he said, settling a cotton ball on top of the bottle. "It stings, but no matter how uncomfortable it looks, it's gotta be done. After that, I need these scars stitched..." He cupped the side of her face and stroked her pale cheek.

"It's alright, we can go slow," he assured her, before grabbing a bottle of painkillers from the kit with his other hand. "First though, I'm gonna need some of these."
 
“Holy shit….” Sabrina swore as she looked at the gashes in the drow’s skin. The wounds were already bruising by the ragged flesh. It took her a moment to remember to breathe again, going to snatch up the small bottle of disinfectant. She doubted that it would be enough to do the job, but it would have to do until Lars advised her otherwise.

“Well, at least it will match all of your other scars.” She set to the task of pouring some of the liquid onto a clear bar towel, moving to dab his injuries. Her face looked up to his to ensure that she wasn’t causing too much discomfort. But at this rate, pain was unavoidable. “Jesus I could use a cigarette….” She mumbled while listening to what he had to say. Stitches? Sabrina couldn’t even darn a pair of socks. She wondered how her hands would stay still enough to complete the task as she heard him continue to guide her. When he touched her face she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to steel her nerves and listen to everything he said.

“Lars, I don’t think these painkillers are going to be enough.” She got up quickly, moving to pop her head out of the bar in order to yell at the drunk wizard to close up the shop and get out for the time being. Just in case he was followed, she didn’t want to involve the old sop. The shewolf looked over her selection of liquors before grabbing rum and everclear, bringing the bottles to the back.

“Rum is for you to take with those pain pills, and the everclear is if we need more disinfectant.” Sabrina ran a hand through her hair, streaking it with Lars’ blood. She pushed one bottle into his hand. “This kit is for a knife wound at best….let’s see what we can do.”
 
"Oh, my favourite," he said, smiling awkwardly at his own poor attempt at humor. He took his pills and downed them with a healthy mouthful of rum. A wave washed over him at once, dulling the pain significantly until he had been rendered comfortably numb. The disinfectant still stung, but he seemed to barely react to it this time. He breathed a shuddering sigh and forced a smile. "You're doing great dear."

Once it came time for the needle, he tapped it with a finger and helped to guide Sabrina's hand. "I've had to... do this to myself a few times in the past, working solo... hurts like hell, but... at least I know this isn't anything fatal." With great care he took her through the first few seconds, working to close up the scars on his abdomen. Not as fancy of what a doctor would manage, but it would suffice for the time being.

He breathed another sigh and closed his eyes. "I am... quite a fool," he remarked. "With everything coming in the future, I shouldn't be getting wrapped up in such dangerous work... but I feel that I'm close to the end. And once the debt is settled, the clan will let me leave."
 
As he guided her, Sabrina’s hands went from unsteady to confidant. However, the shewolf certainly didn’t want to repeat the day’s activities. Not if she could help it. When she had finished stitching him up, it was time to apply some gauze bandages in order to help stop the flow of blood completely. By the time she was done, she was flecked with his blood across her face, hands coated in it. Sabrina sat back on the stool, wiping the back of her hands across her forehead. That resulted in a long drag of red viscera across her skin.

“Have to restock the first aid kit...maybe see about extending the uses of it.” Sabrina forced a smile, feeling exhausted after all of that. She got up from the stool, instead moving to sit on the couch, finding the fabric to be much more comfortable.

“Dangerous shit happens in Bay City. And in your line of work, I’m just happy you managed to come back with all of your limbs. I’d hate to call in the favors that I do have around this city to try to extract some sort of revenge.” She laughed lightly, not wanting to be too close to him and hurt him inadvertently.
 
"I don't want you getting put at risk either, of course," Lars replied. He laid back, glancing up at the ceiling as the strange and pleasant numbness of his alcohol and painkiller combo rolled through him. "It's strange," he said, leaving the statement hanging for several seconds without clarifying what he meant. "I never really had anyone to live for in the past. While I didn't want to die, and I wanted to do my job, I never thought much about other people needing me."

He settled his hands over his newly bandaged chest, mindful of where he rested his fingers. "Now though I have you, and the children we're going to have... it's new and a little frightening, but I definitely don't plan on failing either of you," he explained. The drow closed his eyes, feeling the taste of rum slowly draining from his tastebuds. "I think I'll be quite happy to retire from my old lifestyle. And hopefully I won't disappoint you."
 
She reached out to take his hand as he seemed to be enjoying the effects of the medication and liquor. A part of her wanted to lift him up, to help him up the stairs so he could be in the comfort of their bed. But, she had to be mindful of her condition. Heavy lifting was certainly discouraged. A part of her wished that she would have kept the wizard there, as certainly he might know some charm to help float him up the stairs.

“I know...this pregnancy happened at an inconvenient time at best.” Sabrina admitted. It would have been better if his business had been tidied up. “But...I don’t regret it. Given your line of work though...I know you’re going to be careful enough for the baby and myself.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek, eyes flicking down to the bandages to ensure he wasn’t bleeding through them.

“We get to make a life together.” She moved to carefully lean against him. Sabrina wouldn’t leave him there. The shewolf was more than willing to sleep on the couch with her mate, in order to keep an eye on him. “Lars….I love you.”
 
The drow settled beside her. In his current state, even the various lumps in the worn old couch seemed to be nonexistent in his cognition. "I know... No matter what obstacle I have to climb out of to make it happen, I'm going to be there for the both of you," the handsome male said. He closed this eyes, seeming content to ease off to sleep then and there. It was only Sabrina's declaration that kept him awake.

"You... really mean that?" Lars asked, some disbelief in his tone as he heard it. For all they had gone through since they met, it was still a shock to hear anyone say they loved him. "I love you too," Lars replied, managing a tiny smile as he said it. "I don't think I've ever said that to anyone before, but... I truly mean it," Lars said, wrapping a strong arm around Sabrina to keep her flush against him.
 
She didn’t mind that pause that it took for him to realize precisely what had been said. But when he responded in kind, she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her beautiful face. She leaned into his frame, taking the arm that was wrapped around her to rest it on her slightly bulging tummy.

“And our pup is going to love you too. No matter what you’ve done before or what you’ll do after they’re born. I know you’re going to do fantastic….I think we’re a lot alike. We want a family to love, to protect….and I’m happy to help you out with that.” She reassured him, finding that there was something about the smell of his blood that was beginning to be too appealing. She rubbed her thighs together, trying to ignore it. It had to be because it was getting close to the full moon yet again.
 
"I certainly hpe so... definitely going to have to be quiet about my old job around the pups though. Don't need them growing up thinking it's cool to be a criminal, like I did," he remarked. Between the soothing of his medication, and the pleasing warmth pressed into his side, Lars steadily felt himself being lulled to sleep against Sabrina's warm body.

"Still have to... make that appointment with the doctor..." he sleepily said. It was some days away, and his bruises would have faded by then. Even so, he was a little anxious about that. He wanted everything to be okay. And as Lars drifted off to sleep against her, he knew he was just a few steps away from having the kind of life he deeply wanted. He just had a few more vamps to deal with...
 
“Yeah, just imagine it. Our whelps could grow up to be...respectable. Not have to work at a bar. Or sell bathtub crank.” Sabrina stayed close to him, a feeling of contentment sweeping over her. “They got a real chance, assuming we can make this all work out. Could be doctors or some shit. But hopefully not police. Or a lawyer.” She chuckled darkly at the thought.

It didn’t take her long to pick up on her lover being passed out, staying there the night with him. Even if she woke up the next morning with a terrible kink in her neck, it was worth it to be with him and ensure that her first aid work did its job.

Almost two weeks passed, and it was the day of the appointment for the pregnancy. With the time that passed, Sabrina took care of Lars as he healed and tended the bar. She wasn’t super woman, however. The smell of food in the morning and late nights was beginning to make her feel slightly ill, ending up making lots of sandwiches and ordering even more take out. The shewolf didn’t want to have him worry about her during this time, forcing him to stay in bed at least until the wounds scabbed over and passed the initial itchy stage. After that, she thought it was wise for him to lay low until he was back in top fighting form.

She woke up late that morning, having to move fast to get ready for the day. She dressed down in a high-low red dress. The back hem reached her ankles, while the front was short, barely to her knees. The sides were at an angle, a lot of fabric in the skirt to make sure that it was gathered nicely. She still wore a back sheer long sleeve top with how hot she was running, black fluffy fur lining the collar and framing her pale face. She wore black flats to finish it off, going to wake Lars up before pulling out a cold breakfast for the pair.
 
It was fortunate that Lars had been correct in his self-assessment. His injuries had been superficial and nothing more, meaning that he had little to do in the realm of recovery beyond taking it easy. Not that it hadn't been sore, and he had been insistent in helping deal with work at the bar once he could comfortably walk again. Eventually his injuries had almost entirely healed, making him look quite fine from the outside.

Just in time too, he supposed, given their doctor's appointment. It would have been awkward otherwise.

When he awoke, he gave a modest grunt and moved to sit upright in bed and smiled at Sabrina's frame in the doorway. "Mornin' sweetheart," he greeted, slowly sliding out of bed before he rose to his full height. "I had a wonderful dream where I was in a relationship with a sassy beautiful werewolf. And wouldn't you kno, it came true," he said, grinning wickedly at her.
 
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