On My Own...and a little glad he's not beside me

[Marleigh Hayes]

Marleigh was getting ready for her first set and already the butterflies were jumping around in her stomach. It didn't matter how often she got up on a stage she just couldn't help, but feel nervous performing in front of a crowd. When she heard her name announced she took a deep breath in and let it go before bounding onto the stage. "Thank you all for coming out tonight! We've got an awesome show planned for y'all so just sit back and enjoy," Marleigh said with a grin, her southern accent coming on very thick as usual. She made it through her first four songs and then went into her fifth song which she'd written shortly after she and Cam had called it quits. On that particular song she sang her heart out and the crowd really seemed to be enjoying it.

"Thank you! We're gonna take a short break and be back in about fifteen minutes," the tall blonde girl said to the group before heading off the stage and straight to the bar. Looking at the bartender she said in a low tone, "A shot of the best tequila you've got in the house...actually make it a double." For the last two weeks Marleigh had done her fair share of drinking. It numbed things for her to where they were at least bearable for her. She knew she'd made the right decision in breaking up with Cameron, but it was still hard to deal with. "Another," she said as she quickly turned up the liquid that burned her throat on the way down.

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

Work was long today. Nic did his best to stick to his office and get the next season's Quidditch schedule hammered out. He found it was much easier staying in his office than running into his ex. His happy ex-girlfriend and her new fiance. It wasn't that he and Sakura really had much of a chance, but he had hoped that he finally had found a girl that he could settle down with, fall in love with, eventually get married to. Their work schedules made their relationship fail before they had ever even had a chance to get it started. Now she was with that creepy old guy from the Auror's department. Something was just sick and wrong about getting married to your former professor.

Wandering into the pub, he realized that there was live music that night. The girl on stage that was singing was rather attractive, and had a decent voice, so Nic decided to take a table near the back and drink himself better. She was good. He had missed her name when she took the stage, but was entranced by her voice. His glass had been empty for a while, but he hadn't noticed. His focus was on the angel singing on stage. When she took a break, he watched her move swiftly to the bar, then knock back a rather large shot, then move for another. Raising his eyebrows, he was impressed with her ability to hold her liquor, and stood up, moving to the bar to get a refill for himself.

Standing next to the tall blonde, he asked for a refill on his own drink before casually saying, "That stuff will kill you, you know."

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

Marleigh had just slammed back her second glass when she heard someone address her. Raising her eyebrow she looked at the source of the voice. She didn't know who this guy was or where he came from, but he was nothing short of gorgeous. It took her a second to gather her words, but thinking upon his own she quickly retorted with, "So will love. I think I'd rather go down this way...seems to be a lot more pleasant." Marleigh locked eyes with the bartender for a second and then pointed at her glass, signaling that she wanted another drink. "So do you have a name or should I just call you the Surgeon General," she mused at the man beside her, knowing full and well that he probably wouldn't get the joke seeing as how it was an American thing.

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

Nic picked up his glass from the bartender and took a sip. Turning his head to look at the girl, he raised his eyebrow. "General?" he asked in his heavily accented voice. "Well, as much as I like the idea of being called General, you can just call me Nic." He tossed a few galleons on the bar to cover his drink and a generous tip for the barkeep, then turned his body to lean against the wood of the bar. "So, do I just call you singing girl or do you have a name?"

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

As suspected the man, whose name she now knew was Nic, didn't get her joke. "It's an American thing...didn't figure you'd understand it," she said, the alcohol finally doing what she had wanted it to...forget. Marleigh looked him up and down, thinking to herself Good gravy he is one fine hunk of man. I'd like to climb that tree. Before she could even get around to introducing herself a voice boomed over head from the stage. "Let's welcome back to the stage Marleigh Hayes," a man said and she looked to the stage and then back to Nic. "Guess that answers your question right there," she said, her southern accent playing thick. Running a finger up the front of his shirt she leaned in and whispered, "See ya later General!" With that she flounced back to the stage. "Alright y'all...I've got a few more songs for you guys before I turn the stage over to Blissful Bones, a new little group that's sure to be a hit," Marleigh said enthusiastically. The crowd cheered and she smiled as the music started up and she went into yet another song.

When her final set ended she introduced the new band and then sauntered off the stage and back to the bar, where the guy she'd met earlier was still standing. Approaching him, Marleigh leaned on the bar and said, "Care to buy a lady a drink?"

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

"Ah, no, sorry. I am not American," Nic said, shaking his head, for the first time wishing that he was from that particular country. Normally he was not the kind to denounce his Bulgarian heritage, but there was something about this girl that just drew him in like a moth to a flame. He could not help but watch as she made her way back onstage to finish up her set. Warmth filled his body with the slight touch of her hand to his chest. Her name resonated in his head. Marleigh. It was not a name he had heard before, but knew he wanted to hear again. He turned so that his back was to the bar and leaned on his elbows, sipping on his glass of firewhiskey, listening to her sing.

Soon she was moving back through the crowd and as he stayed still, she approached him. "Of course, Singing Girl." He winked at her, then snapped to get the bartender's attention, motioning for his own drink to be refilled, then waited for her to tell the man what she wanted.

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

With a smirk, Marleigh looked at the bartender and said, "Same as usual." Cocking her head to the side she looked Nic up and down once more. Listening to his accent she could tell that, like her, he wasn't from around these parts either. "Well, you're obviously not from around here so where do you hail from," she asked curiously.

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

Tossing a few galleons down on the bar to cover the drinks, he garnered a refill for his own. "I'm from Bulgaria originally. Came here in school for a year and then came back year ago for work. How about you? What brought you here?" Nic sipped from his glass, looking up and down the girl's form. Marleigh was different than anyone else he had been around, been interested in before.

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

"Durmstrang I'm going to assume," she said as more of a question. Marleigh had been roommates with someone who had once attended that school, but she hadn't seen Dietrich in several months. She thought about his question for a moment and then carefully answered him. "Well it seemed easier to get my music career up and running over here. I've performed for both muggles and wizards and honestly the magical community seems to be more receptive of me. It's like the muggles can sense that there's something different about me. So anyways long story short I graduated from Salem and haven't been back home since then," she said before knocking back the drink that the bartender sat on the bar in front of her. "So what kind of work do you do," Marleigh asked before ordering another drink.

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

Nic nodded at the mention of his alma mater. He knocked back the firewhiskey in his glass, then got a refill for himself as well. He was drinking heavier than normal, but for some reason, he just did not care. "I work in the Quidditch League Headquarters. Mostly involved with scheduling the games and approving transfers of players. Super glamorous work," he answered, a bit mockingly at the end. He hated that he had to give up playing professionally and take a real job, as his father called it. "Do you do anything other than your singing?"

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

"Quidditch. Never understood the game personally, but my ex's sister plays for some team in Britain and if I'm not mistaken one of her best friends, Katrina or Katinka or Katalina...something like that, just got drafted to play for a team there as well. Must be a European thing because we didn't get all bat crazy over it back in the states," Marleigh replied, her speech becoming slightly slurred though that didn't stop her from ordering another drink. When asked what she did besides sing she thought to herself Well until I had to break with my macho man ex-boyfriend I didn't have to do anything else because I didn't have bills to worry about. And it was true. Cameron had wanted Marleigh to focus on her music so he had insisted that she didn't need an extra job and the money she made from playing gigs was hers to do with as she pleased. Looking at Nic she replied, "I wait tables for drunk old wizards who think that grabbing my ass is going to get them somewhere." It wasn't her first pick for a job, but she had to pay her bills somehow.

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

Nic sipped on his whiskey while he listened to Marleigh talk about his beloved game...until he heard a name from his past that he had never expected. Katalina. He sputtered as he tried to swallow down the fiery liquid that was in his mouth. "Did you just say Katalina? Is her last name Vanderhol?" he tried to ask casually, his blood running a bit colder despite the warmth that the whiskey was providing him. Then the thought hit him. This girl was no Quidditch groupie. She had no real knowledge of players or anything other than those she knew personally. This was good for him. Unless she talked to the little Kitty Kat, his former reputation would not taint her view of him.

"Waiting tables? I'm sorry," he said, waiving for his glass to be filled again. "I hope that your singing career takes off soon so that you can quit doing that. Old drunk wizards shouldn't be the ones grabbing your ass." He dared the slightest bit of a waggling of the eyebrow as he picked up his refreshed drink and took another sip. He was being a bit bold, but this girl was beautiful, had the voice of an angel, and could drink with the best of them. Marleigh Hayes was starting to be the perfect combination of woman for him.

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

Marleigh gave the guy an odd look when he asked the name of the girl she had been talking about. Raising her brow slightly she replied, "Now that you mention it...yeah that is her last name. You know her I guess?" Apparently Kiera and the Katalina girl had been best friends or roommates or something of the such when the girl had been in school. Marleigh of course had only ever talked to Kiera a handful of times though.

Marleigh kicked back the rest of the liquid that her glass contained. She was pretty much gone at this point, but didn't miss the comment as well as the facial expression from Nic. Throwing all caution to the wind she pressed her body close to his, nuzzling her face against his neck as she place light kisses to the delicate skin there. She kissed her way up and whispered softly, her breath hot against his flesh, "I suppose you'd rather grab my ass." Playfully she nipped at his earlobe with her teeth and pulled her face back just slightly, looking him in the eyes, but still keeping their bodies flush with one another.

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

Nic inwardly groaned as Marleigh confirmed her ex's sister's friend was the Ice Princess from his time in New Zealand in school. "Yeah. She is someone I knew in my past. No one of consequence though." He took another drink from his whiskey, then watched as the girl tossed her own back. She seemed to Nic that she was becoming a bit intoxicated; so was he for that matter, which would be why he didn't push her away from him when Marleigh suddenly pressed up next to him. Her kisses were lighting a fire in him that the whiskey could only wish to light. Her whispered breath on his ear made him decide then and there that there was no turning back now.

Her eyes met his, and he saw something there that he was not expecting. Behind the drunken veil was a bit of hope as well as past hurt and present desire. "Maybe," was all he said as his arms wrapped around her and held her too him. His lips crushed down, capturing hers, making his desires known.

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

Marleigh melted into Nic's body and when his lips came to meet hers she welcomed them openly. Her mouth moved against his, her lips parting slightly. This could possibly end badly, in fact she was pretty sure it would probably end badly, but right now all she knew was that she wanted the tall, dark and handsome man she'd only just met. Snaking her arms up his back she, at first, gave light caresses, but soon her nails were digging through the fabric of his shirt. Marleigh's breathing was shallow when she finally (and reluctantly) broke the kiss. "Hot damn," was all she could muster for a response.

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

Nic didn't hold anything back. It didn't matter to him that he had only met this girl hours before or that she was more than intoxicated. She knew what she was doing and was driving him wild. Threading his hands into her hair, he held her lips to his, exploring her mouth without abandon. After the horrible ending with Sakura, and the fact that he not only had to deal with her and her old man at work, he decided to become what everyone always thought him to be -- a playboy. There had been a string of women in and out of his bedroom, more than he thought was humanly possible.

As the kiss broke, Nic fought to catch his breath. Keeping his grip on Marleigh, he tossed a few galleons down to cover their drinks and a generous tip. "Let's get out of here," he said into her ear, nipping at it gently as he did so.

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

Drunk as she might have been, Marleigh knew what she was about to do and for the moment she simply didn't care. She sucked in a sharp breath as Nic nipped at her ear and the electric current rippling through her body was just about too much for her to handle. "That's probably a good idea," she said breathlessly as she let him lead her from the bar, still not sure where they would go, but she knew she had to get there fast or she wasn't going to be able to contain herself for much longer.

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

Nic kept his arms around Marleigh as he lead her from the bar out into the street. Thankfully, it was a wizarding neighborhood. Pulling her too him, his lips crushed down on hers again, exploring her mouth more intensely than he had in the bar. Turning on the spot, he apparated the pair of them back to his apartment and landing in his darkened living room.

Pulling her to the sofa behind him, he never broke the kiss as he sat down and positioned Marleigh on his lap. His hands began to explore her body, slowly moving up her back and down her arms, then moving back to run down her sides and finally resting on her lower back. Massaging the area with practiced hands, he laid back on the sofa, pulling her into position along with him. Nic could feel the blood rushing through his veins as his heart beat frantically. Sliding his hands back up her back, they found their way onto the soft skin of her back under the red silk of her tank.

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

As she was pulled back onto him, Marleigh began to unbutton Nic's shirt. Her entire body was on fire and and she knew there was only one way to make it go away. As he ran his hands across her lower back a low throaty groan escaped from her. Marleigh began to trailed kisses down his jawline and then down his neck. Her hands slid down and began to undo his belt, keeping her eyes on him the entire time. There was no turning back now and Marleigh was nearly a hundred percent sure she didn't want to.

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

Nic shrugged out of his shirt as the woman in his arms went to work on his belt. Once the offending piece of fabric was off and on the floor, he began to tug at her shirt, pulling it up and off of her. Sitting up, he pulled her to him, controlling her mouth once again before standing up and carrying her to the bedroom. He broke the kiss just long enough to set Marleigh down on the bed lovingly, kicking his shoes off before climbing onto the bed next to the gorgeous blonde.

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

A small squeal escaped from Marleigh as she was hoisted into his arms and placed on his bed. In what seemed like a matter of seconds he had turned from her and she fell into a drunken darkness. Just like that Marleigh Hayes had passed out cold.

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

Nic no more than climbed into the bed next to the beauty that was there ready and willing when he realized she had passed out cold. Pressing a light kiss to her forehead, he pulled her into his arms and snuggled down, ready to fall asleep himself. Marleigh was gorgeous, but she was drunk so maybe sleep was the best thing for them. If she was still there in the morning, well, he would wait to see what would happen then.

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

When the blonde awoke there was sunshine pouring through the curtains, but they weren't her curtains. Blinking several times she looked around her sure enough she wasn't in her apartment. In fact, she didn't know where she was or how she'd gotten there until the memory of the night before hit her. Looking next to her she saw him and he looked just as good now as he did a few hours before when she had been wasted out of her mind. Nic apparently had been the perfect gentleman, having not taken advantage of her while she slept seeing as how she was still had most of her clothing on. She just layed there looking at him and the sunlight washing over him.

 

[Nicolae Kobori]

Nic woke to the sun in his room. It was Saturday morning and he was not sure why he had fallen asleep in half his clothes. Stretching out before he opened his eyes, the events of the prior night came flooding back to him. The beautiful blonde. The passion that flowed between them. Slowly opening his eyes, a smile graced his lips. "Morning Beautiful," he said softly. "How's your head?" He couldn't help but smirk, knowing that there was a good chance that she might be in a major amount of pain.

 

[Marleigh Hayes]

A small grin formed on her mouth as she replied, "Nothing a little aspirin and a nice hot shower won't fix. I'm guessing you're not that hungover then?" Marleigh slowly nestled her way closer to him, nuzzling her face in his neck and pressing a light kiss there. Sure she may have been sober now, but she missed this more than anything so pretending that this guy cared anything about her would suffice for the time being.