You're left alone in the waiting room for a good ten minutes before Brian comes out to get you. By then, you've completely lost all the confidence you had when asking to come here and have been heavily considering running out of the hospital doors for a while now. Still, Brian walks towards you with a welcoming smile.
"He agreed to talk to you, but just so you know, his nose is completely bandaged. He looks quite scary to me – I would want nothing to do with him."
You groan. "God, I feel so terrible."
Brian laughs softly. "It's okay, really. The doctor says he'll be better in three weeks."
You two stop outside the room, passing the band on their way out. They wave to you, smiling widely. "We figured it'd be best for you two to have the conversation alone," John says. They're already halfway down the hallway before you can protest. Brian senses your nerves and places a hand on your shoulder.
"Hey, it's going to be fine. Just go in there, apologize, and then we'll take you home. I'm sure he'll find you charming." He opens the door for you and pushes you softly into the room.
You see him there, lying in the hospital bed. His nose is wrapped with a white bandage, but his face is still very visible. He looks at you kindly.
"Hi," you say, giving a small wave.
"Hello." He chuckles.
You walk over to his bedside and place a hand on the handles of the bed. "Look, I just wanted to say I'm so, so, so–"
He waves a hand dismissively. "I know, I know. The boys said that's all you've been saying." He smiles and points at the chair against the wall behind you. You grab it and pull it up to his bed.
"I didn't mean to punch you. There was this customer that had been bothering me all night and when you tapped my shoulder I assumed it was him and I lost my temper and punched him. But then I looked down and it was you, not him."
He laughs, realizing the story he's gotten himself into. "Well, at least the punch seems justified. There are a lot of creeps that like to hang out at the Cavern. Bartenders should really have some kind of security system." He pauses and starts to laugh. "It does seem like you have it under control, though."
You laugh, though it comes out covered in remorse. You place a light hand on the side of the nose and your other hand absent-mindedly cups his cheek. You lean in, getting a closer look at his nose and his face. You notice his dark eyes and bushy eyebrows, as well as the prominent bruising under his nose. "Does it hurt?" You ask, sincerely.
"It does when you touch it!" He laughs, pulling away.
You pull your hands away but keep your faces the same distance apart as you giggle with him. As he laughs, he flashes his sharp canines. It's a feature you find very attractive. He has a lot of features you find attractive, it seems.
"So, you met the boys?"
"Yes, they're very intriguing."
He laughs. "That's a word for it."
"You get along with them well?"
"Oh yeah. They're like brothers to me."
"I can see that." It does seem like a very familial relationship, "You can tell by the way you guys perform that you genuinely get along."
"God, it'd be hell if we didn't." He fidgets a bit with his hands. "Do you like working at the Cavern?"
"Yeah, I suppose. It's just a job. It'll be enough to fuel the dream."
He raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's the dream?"
"I'm a painter and a musician." You feel a bit worried revealing that. "I'd love to be able to do that full-time."
He smiles. "That's the dream for me, too. I can't wait to get out of cleaning my dad's store for measly paychecks."
You hum in agreement. A wave of silence falls over you two as you stare into each other's eyes. You feel comfortable, much less nervous than you were before.
"Hey, I have an idea for how you can make the whole broken nose thing up to me." He gestures at his nose.
"Oh, yeah?" You smile at him – it seems like you can't stop smiling. "What would that be?"
"You could let me take you on that date I was going to ask you about." He smiles, lightly blushing. The boys must have told him they told you about his failed plans already.
You lean closer and put a light hand on top of his head, softly twirling the hair. Your other hand cups his cheek again. You feel completely comfortable with him, and there's no sign of discomfort in his grinning face. "I'd love to."