Recall mxm

So Help Me

Anna stepped back as Amia tugged at his hair harshly, hissing several things under his breath. 

"If I see you out from behind this bar for anything besides to relieve yourself today, consider yourself fired." 

He could see the fury burning in Amia's eyes as the guy grabbed a dirty glass and turned his back on him, scrubbing it nearly to the point of breaking. 

This guy...

Feelings arms suddenly wrap around his waist, Hollem sent one more stare toward Amia before changing his expression, adding a smile and warm look as he glanced over his shoulder at the shy woman hugging him from behind. 

"Hi there, Miki. How have you been?" He asked as he guided the young lady over to a sitting area. 

She frequently visited him for his services, but more recently, she'd just come to take some of his time and talk. While she was an absolutely stunning, sweet young lady of twenty-three, her husband clearly didn't think the same. He had beaten her several times during their first year of marriage, and clearly cheated on her multiple times with many mistresses, too. 

At first, when she'd walked in asking to be loved by a nice young man, just once, he'd thought her the same as all the other loose women who just wanted to get something nicer than their husbands, or get back at them. However, as he got to know Miki, he realized that she really did just want to be cared about. 

They spoke quietly in a far corner of the room beside the low fire in the hearth. Evidently, her husband had gone on a voyage to the Americas for some time recently. She told him about how he was slowly getting better with his frustrations, and more importantly, not taking them out on her. 

Hollem was glad that the man was finally seeing value in his wife's favor. He had known right away when he'd turned to look at her earlier, that he had calmed a little. She had only one small bruise barely peaking out from beneath the fabric of her dress, when he knew that the man had previously liked to have her sporting several bad ones. 

When she hesitantly found her way into his lap, Hollem allowed her to get comfortable. He wasn't assigned to pay attention to anyone specific tonight, as he was just to focus mostly on observing Amia. He felt the boy's eyes on him several times throughout the evening as he allowed Miki to snuggle against him, but could never quite catch him staring. 

It was quite a few hours later when Hollem felt Miki beginning to drift off. If he wasn't in such a profession, he would have considered trying to steal her hand away from her husband, but he knew that he was no man that someone would want outside of his work space. He had a temper, slept with more people than he could count, and honestly didn't care to be around anyone if given the choice. 

Miki was just a sweet girl who never really bothered him, even if she talked a lot. She never spoke negatively upon anyone, even when they deserved the slander. 

When he noticed Anna beginning to clean up around her bar area in preparation for their planned early close, Hollem gently shook Miki's shoulder until her soft brown eyes blinked open. They always looked worried initially, but when she realized who she was with, she smiled sheepishly and carefully climbed down from his lap with a bit of help. 

"I apologize. I haven't been sleeping all that well recently." She said as she took a step back, allowing Hollem to stand from the chair. 

His muscles ached a bit for sitting for so long, but he'd enjoyed himself. It was rare that he got to just relax by the fire. "Not a problem. Best be on your way home, though. I believe we're closing early this evening." 

Miki nodded, her sleepy smile stretching her lips slightly as he leaned in to place a gentle kiss upon her cheek. "Off you go." He whispered, pressing his fingers against her back just enough to get her heading for the door.