Tig is not known for his patience with anyone, or anything, including Juices panic attacks. He had never been a comforting man, that just wasn't his style. Whatever had set Juice off could only be one of two things, they were always the same it seemed. He either A: felt abandoned, or B: felt it coming. Tig may not be comforting, and affectionate but he was observant. The times Juice had panicked before, way back, and when Chibs was locked up, those times he fainted, his ramblings had always been the same.
Tig slammed his phone shut when Chibs didn't answer, throwing it across the room only to have it bounce off the pool table and land back beside him. He stomped behind the bar, finding a five-gallon bucket used to refill ice, stomping past Chucky in the kitchen he filled the bucket with water and ice. He was mumbling like a maniac to himself, Chucky trying his best to stay out of his way he watched with alarmed eyes.
Tig stood before the couch with the bucket over Juices shaking body, breathing deeply as if he almost regretted what he was about to do. Quickly he dumped the ice-cold water over his head and body, jumping back as Juice lunged from the couch gasping and coughing. Juices hands clutched at his chest as the air filled his lungs as if he had been drowning, his eyes were wide and confused. Tig guided him slowly over to a dry chair taking the towel Chucky nervously held out for him.
"Hey, Juicy." He wrapped the towel around him, warming his arms with his hands as he crouched in front of him. "Welcome back buddy." Juices blown out pupils looked back into Tigs icy blue eyes as if he were studying him. The tears came like a flood he couldn't control, Tig just held the back of his neck, it was the most comfort he was comfortable giving in a public place.
"I'm sorry Tig, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." He wiped his eyes roughly, managing to stall the tears. His voice quivered but he managed to speak calmly. "I was working on the plates Jax sent me, and they didn't add up, it didn't make sense. My head started... it's like voices... they just go off; fill my head and I can't think. I don't... I'm not good on my own. It gets so loud Tig."
Tig just looked at him, not really knowing what to say. The only person present was Chucky, but he couldn't risk exposing more of their life than intended. The more this went on, the more likely it would happen. He hoped his eyes portrayed understanding and sympathy as he watched the other man blinking away tears. "Come on, let's get you dry. You got some clothes in the back?"
Juice took a deep breath, pulled the towel around him, drying his hair with one corner. "Yeah, thanks man. I appreciate you pulling me out of that. I'll go get dressed." Tig let him go on his own, even though everything in him pulled for him to follow. The sound of bikes pulling into TM broke his impulse, he pulled down his shades and walked outside to meet them.
He saw Jax first, Chibs close behind him, something flickered in his gut making rage boil in his veins. Chibs threw his hand up in a wave, but quickly tilted his head in confusion when he saw the way Tig was charging at them. Jax dismounted his bike first, tossing his cigarette to the ground. "Tig?" He tried to get the man's attention thinking he was locked on him, Chibs and Bobby coming in for back up. "TIG!" Jax scoffed angrily as the man's stride became a sprint shoving past Jax.
"You fucking son of a bitch! You know better!" His hands grabbed hold of Chibs cut shaking his body before his fist connected with his face. Chibs hands were pushing away, trying not to engage the fight. "Ye bloody ijit, wha the hell is wrong wit ye!?"
Jax and Bobby tried to pull Tig off unsuccessfully, they put their hands up deciding to let them work out whatever this was. Bobby lit a smoke, walking off to the side shaking his head, he could at least finish his smoke before he had to save one of them.
Chibs got hold of Tig around the waist shuffling them backwards throwing off his balance. It wasn't enough, Tig charged again, shoving them both to the ground. Fists flying in a fit of fury they pounded on each other wherever they could hit. The taste of blood filled their mouths, covered their knuckles as they fought against one another. Grunts of anger, and intelligible words filled the air.
Juice stood next to Chucky in the bay door of the shop watching in horror briefly. He had felt better once he had gotten dressed, now his gut was filled with lead. He looked over at Jax, who looked at him with questions in his eyes. Juice shrugged, trying to remain casual, he really didn't know. He spotted a few water hoses on the ground next to the bay and grinned at Jax, gesturing towards it.
The fight went on, minutes passed and neither man was giving up, or giving out from the looks of it, Jax gave a thumbs up with a laugh. He sauntered over to where Juice stood, helping him unravel the hoses. "You know anything about this?" Jax asked curiously as they worked on the tangle.
"I don't, but somehow I'm certain it's about this piece of prime meat." He pointed at himself, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. The knot of hose pulled apart; they took a few steps towards the tangle of men on the ground. "I don't even want to know Juice. I don't want to know." he rolled his eyes. "Power on." They twisted the nozzles, water blasted from the hoses in powerful jets towards the fight.
The cold sprays of water at first were a shock, only making both men angrier. Jax and Juice lost their composure amongst the yelps, curses and stumbling bodies trying to stand, their laughter roared over the sound of the curses. Seeing Juice smiling, laughing, genuinely looking happy after his previous state relinquished the anger boiling inside of Tig. He and Chibs were now fighting against the jets instead of each other, laughing and grunting in frustration. Their hair was wet matted to their faces, hands in front of them in vain trying to stop the jets from hitting them.
"Ye bloody numpty! Stop it."
"Assholes! It's not funny anymore stop!"
Both men were yelling, running around the TM lot like crazed hyenas with the jets of water following them at every turn. Jax's face was red from laughter, Juice was almost doubled over, the two of them seemed to have forged a bond over this excitement. Finally, the water stopped, both Jax and Juice looked at each other confused briefly before looking back at the faucet control. During all the commotion guys had wondered back into the club house unnoticed by the four outside, now they had an audience. A very unamused looking Happy stood next to the tap, toothpick bouncing back and forth, arms crossed over his broad chest as he glared at them all. He didn't speak, grunted in acknowledgment and walked away. The two were soaked, pushing their hands through their wet hair, slicking it back from their faces, they shook off their cuts, breathing deeply. The four of them stared at each other, silent.
Once the moment of surprise had passed, everyone coming back into their senses Tig and Chibs charged towards Jax and Juice who took off running into the club house. Men were dodging them as the sprinted around trying to escape the wrath of the elder two men. Chibs had a look in his eye, the look that made Juices blood rush through him. Tig looked like a crazed lunatic, but wet. Juice felt as if the episode earlier hadn't happened at all, he wished things felt like this all the time as laughter filled the usually gruff, and grim clubhouse.
Their soaking wet bodies sloshed through the clubhouse, hot on the tails of the other two, trails of water left behind them. Juice and Jax had doubled back, aiming to escape out the bay door.
"Shit, shit shit!" Jax hit a puddle in his slick white sneakers, sliding across the floor, he grabbed hold of Juice to regain balance only to topple them both down into a pile of defeat on the ground." OH fuck!" Juice agreed, as they went down, they burst out into a fit of fearful laughter as the other two men came towards them.
"Yer in for it now boys!"
"Gotcha!"
They struggled, trying to quickly get back up only to be yanked up by wet hands.
