"Remind me why you invited him again?" Rooster asked, looking at the blond across from him.
Phoenix shrugged, her hand propped up underneath her chin. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Oh, I don't know." He said bluntly, watching him sway his head to a Metallica song Rooster couldn't put his finger on.
Phoenix couldn't help but grin, keeping in her laugh as she looked to Jake. "He's enjoying himself." She turned back to Rooster
He was a child in his own little world.
Rooster rolled his eyes.
Coyote shook his head with a smile, walking over with two beers in each hand, dealing them out to the table.
He sat down next to Rooster, "He's always like this if he isn't talking to some lady or showing off to everyone."
Phoenix looked down to her bottle and Rooster laughed.
"You mean he's not just being arrogant all the time? There's actually a time he stops and goofs around?"
"Yep." Coyote nods, sitting the beer bottle down.
"Not just being a jerk kinda goofing off?"
"Nope." He says quite proudly.
"You seem to have a lot of pride in telling Rooster that." Phoenix murmured, tracing the outline of sweat the bottle produced onto the table.
"I do. He's my best friend." He smiled.
There wasn't any response from Jake, though.
Rooster chuckled, "Seems like he doesn't agree with you." He turned to Coyote.
The man waved his hand in dismissal, "Pshh. Yes he does."
Without the motormouth pilot speaking, conversation wasn't made often at the table for the time being.
The other three aviators just sat around their company, people watching.
The bar was hopping as usual, customers filing in and never seeming to go out. Pilots and other members of the Navy, tourists and hometown people, friends and families. They all swam past tables and chairs, beers in their hands, giddy smiles on their faces. However, it was a lesser amount of people than normal. If that was even possible.
"You think the owner if this place is mega rich?" Rooster asked, looking around the area.
"Definitely." Coyote said with a nod.
"It's a bit odd, though. It's a weekend and there isn't near as many people here as normal." Phoenix noted, getting another nod from Coyote.
"I was watching that myself." He told her.
After the short conversation, they turned to Jake as he sat back down at the table.
If he wasn't humming along to the music while fiddling with the bottle opener, he was walking around the bar.
Hangman was earning questionable looks from the group since he still hadn't said much at the table. Rooster had asked if he was sick, or having some sort of bet, but that only got a no from Coyote, and zero awsner from Hangman.
"Hey, I think this Tabasco is spoiled." Jake finally commented, looking at the glass bottle in the middle of the table.
"How do you-"
"You mean that's all you're going to say after being quiet the entire time here?!" Both Rooster and Phoenix yelled in question.
Hangman looked at them, unsure what to say.
Truth be told, even though he'd never admit it, the outburst had startled him.
Coyote chuckled, turning away from the two, and back to Hangman.
"How do you figure?" He asked.
He picked up the bottle, sloshing it around. "You're supposed to shake it every now and then to keep it good," he says, then flipped it upside down. "But this is definitely too far gone."
Phoenix raises a brow.
"Look." He showed them, lifting the bottle up higher. "The coloring is way off."
"Gross, Jake." Phoenix scrunches her nose.
Bradley furrows his brows, "Stop it, stop it." He makes a face.
Coyote laughs. "Why are you like this?"
"Well, I have to be entertaining at least someone. After all, I'm your best friend."
"Mhm." Phoenix sighed.
Hangman smiles, then places the bottle down.
"So you were listening?" Coyote asked with a raise of his brows.
"I was listening to everything the entire time."
He turned his head to Rooster, then to Phoenix, "I also heard what you two said when you thought I wasn't listening." He grinned, "Maybe try using less colorful metaphors next time." He winked to Phoenix.
Phoenix parted her lips, raising a finger to him, "I'm sorry, but you were-"
Rooster stood up from his chair, looking down at the table with a clearing of his throat. "Alright, anyone else want another beer? If not, I'm getting me one and then going to put on a show."
Phoenix inclined her head, narrowing her eyes to the man in front of her. She didn't have to say it out loud to know he was running away.
He still avoided her gaze, though, knowing full well she knew he was diverting the situation.
Hangman raised his head to look at Rooster, "What's wrong? Need some extra cash?" He joked.
Bradley rolled his eyes. "Need anything, Phoenix?" He turned his head to her, finally meeting her eyes.
She smiled, "No, I'm good. I'll be with you in a second, though."
Hangman turned his head away from Rooster, to the figure in the parking lot.
Jake taps Natasha's hand, looking over to the door. "Hey, hey." He says, getting her attention.
She looks down to her hand, then to Jake. "What?"
"Watch," he winks, then turns his head back to the entrance. "Hey, Guy!" He calls.
"And that's my cue." Rooster sighs, sidestepping the table, pushing in his chair.
Coyote laughs, looking at his watch. "Wait for me."
Phoenix huffs, leaning her head back and watching the two walk away, Rooster and Coyote, along with everything else, upside down. "Take me with youuu." She drawls out, reaching her left hand out to them.
The two pilots laugh, but still leave her in the dust.
She repositions her head to her normal view, seeing Guy walk over. She finally pulls her hand away from Hangman's, straightening up her posture.
"Impressing someone?" Hangman whispers with a smirk.
"Gross. No. Shut up." She hisses a whisper back.
"What?" Guy asks rather harshly, reaching the table.
"Check this out," Jake lifts the Tabasco bottle back up, sloshing around the green tinted liquid. "Pretty wild, huh?"
Guy's face matches the Tabasco; red in the face because he's embarrassed for falling for the trick, but green creeps to his cheeks more and more as he takes off in a jog, a hand covering his mouth.
Hangman laughs, and Phoenix shakes her head with lined lips.
He turns his head to her with a falling smile, expecting her to be laughing too, but it's a small, disapproving scowl.
"What?" He asks.
"Look, just because he was being an extra jerk the other day doesn't mean that was the right thing to do."
Jake turns in his seat, his elbow resting on the back of his chair, his hand on Phoenix's, "What do you mean?"
She furrows her brows. "What do you mean what do I mean? That wasn't very nice, Jake. Even if he isn't nice himself."
Phoenix waited for the response, whether it would be smart-ass coated or one right back at her, she knew it wasn't going to make her any happier with him.
"You keep getting sweeter and sweeter."
That wasn't the reply she was expecting, and it still ticked her off.
She gritted her teeth, ready to give him a mouthful, but then he stood up.
She stood up too, only more abruptly. Without saying anything to either one, Natasha watched as he walked over to the counter, telling the bartender about the Tabasco, then fluttered into the crowd of people.
Phoenix shook her head, letting it out as she walked over to the piano.
Rooster started playing the certain keys, and Phoenix nudged his shoulder.
"You know everyone is going to get tired of you playing this every night, right?"
"Aw, who cares!?" He grinned.
"Certainly not you!" She smiled back, mimicking him, dancing her fingers along through the air.
They all smiled together, singing along.
Phoenix looked over to the pool tables, watching Guy play another game. She searched the crowd for Hangman, not finding him there, but walking out the door to the parking lot.
She shrugged.
Who cares indeed.