Slightly Sketchy Pool Hall & Sports Bar, Baltimore [Friday night]

[grenadesandohana]

Steve had been in the mood for cheap wings, flat beer, and sticky floors, so he'd dragged Danny out to a bar he vaguely recalled hearing about from his Annapolis days. Since that had been close to 20 years ago, that bar was absolutely closed, but this one in its place seemed...almost exactly the same.

"Oooh, a pool table!"

This would clearly end in betting. Sorry, Danny.

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[hatesparadise]

"Oh, that's not asking for trouble," Danny said, trailing on after him and glancing around the bar to size up the clientele.

[grenadesandohana]

"Are you afraid of losing at pool, Danny?" Steve asked.

[hatesparadise]

"I'm worried about you getting competitive after I beat you," he replied sweetly.

[grenadesandohana]

"I wake up competitive," Steve told him like somehow Danny had missed this glaring, massive personality trait of Steve's.

[hatesparadise]

Oh no, Danny knew all about that one!

"Oh, really?"

[grenadesandohana]

Steve nodded very solemnly. "I've been told," he said. "Beer?"

[hatesparadise]

"Please. And not that Yeungling!" So picky, Danny.

[grenadesandohana]

"Miller Lite coming up!" Steve singsonged back.

[hatesparadise]

"Putz!" Danny called after him, grabbing a table before people could get it. Because so many people wanted to play pool here.

[grenadesandohana]

"You want Coors? 'Cause I can make this Coors," Steve threatened.

[hatesparadise]

"Don't you even!"

[grenadesandohana]

This was off to a great start!

"Next time you get the beers, then!" Steve yelled from the bar.

[hatesparadise]

"Fine, I will!" They were going to get kicked out.

[grenadesandohana]

"Keep your fight with the missus down, okay?" the bartender grunted, sliding over two Buds, which wasn't what Steve had even asked for.

Steve gave him a flat look and a tiny tip in reply.

[hatesparadise]

It was almost like home, but more surly.

Danny was, mercifully, setting up the pool table for them to play. Because he was a good friend like that. Or a good wife, who knew?

[grenadesandohana]

"Here, have a different mediocre beer," Steve said, handing the bottle over.

[hatesparadise]

"You take me to the nicest places," Danny replied dryly, taking the beer.

[grenadesandohana]

"And I bought you beer, so quit your whining," Steve said. "We should get some wings."

[hatesparadise]

"That assumes they've managed to pass a health inspection," he replied, taking a sip of the beer.

[grenadesandohana]

"That's what the beer is for," Steve said. "Kills germs."

That was...some kind of logic there, Steve.

[hatesparadise]

"That is patently false," Danny was just forced to say.

[grenadesandohana]

"I've had street food in countries I wasn't officially ever in and I'm still standing," Steve said. "I'll chance the wings."

[hatesparadise]

"You've also eaten MREs, your taste buds are broken."

Facts.

[grenadesandohana]

"MREs taste fine!"

Nope. Noooooope.

[hatesparadise]

"Broken," Danny repeated.