Reader X The Midnight Crew: Intermission

    Boxcars was teased constantly by Slick for having spent the night at your place... It had been a dingy place, really. Not at all the kind of place he thought you deserved to live at. I mean, you didn't even have a land-line....
    That was the only reason why Slick didn't tease Boxcars about not getting your number.
    It's okay, though. Boxcars made plenty sure that Slick got an ear-full about faking-out with Sweetheart in an alley-way... Though, the two of them insisted that the fake-out had been just that; fake.
    Boxcars didn't buy it for a moment.
    And the boss wasn't the only one who got in some action that day! Deuce and Poptart went out not an hour after the boss and his chickadee went to go “stake-out”... He could only guess that Droog and Darling were getting some quality time together.
    But who did that leave Boxcars with? No one. You were obeying a request to stay home and get some sleep that day, which meant that the rest of the day; Boxcars would be by himself moving what furniture from the speak-easy he could on his own.
    Many didn't understand how hard it was for the speak-easy to be run, but Boxcars was the best to explain it. When the war was over, the speak-easy was a mess, and it actually started off as a legitimate casino. It had to! It took money to boot-leg. It took contacts, a level of subtlety, and it took a decent wad of cash- or great amount of free booze- to keep the fuzz quiet.
    Once they “moved” the casino into a bigger building, it took an arm and a leg, and some elbow grease to establish the speak-easy. The bar had to be built, glasses and bottles had to be shipped in secret, the stage had to be renovated, more furniture to be made.... In the end, Droog calculated that it just got everyone into debt, but it didn't stay that way. Soon it got bigger and bigger, and staff had to be hired.
    It was a shame to just... Up and leave it... The fact that Boxcars was the only one packing up didn't make it any easier on him, either.

    The next day, however, big B came back with everyone else.... Yes. Even Droog, despite his initial wounds; Droog didn't think that taking a rest for more than a day or so was practical.
    It must have been his sort of “final fair-well” to this place. Each of them knew it was, and it was still freaking depressing, even if everyone was snarking each other.
    “And?” Slick asked Droog, as he was helping Deuce move a piece of furniture out the door.
    Droog, as mentioned, was too injured to help, so he was sitting on a bar-stool.“And Aradia said that she had already been made lunch... I was a bit surprised, but everything was there. An apple, a sandwich, some crackers.”
    “That's it?” Slick protested. “God. Jesus, Droog.”
    Droog gave his boss a tight-lipped frown. “To be fair, I AM injured.”
    “But that's prime smoozing time!... And it's not like it stopped you from getting up this morning.”
    Deuce let out a chuckle. “I like Darling! She's super nice, and it sounds like Aradia likes her a lot.”
    “So tie the knot already!” Slick grinned.
    “... Before I do...” Droog started, a sneer returning to Slick. “I should state that she and I haven't even made out in an alley-way before.”
    “....”
    “Ooooooohhhh~”
    “I swear to god, I will stab you.”
    This is what the day was like. Since everyone was busy yesterday, the boys didn't get a chance to snark at each other like normal over a couple of hands of black-jack... Now they were making up for it.
    “What about you, big B?”
    Boxcars looked up from pushing around a table. “Huh?”
    “Any word from your Babe, yet?”
   Boxcars shook his head and smiled. “Nope! Hopin' to not see her fer days! She's restin' up at her place.”
    “Hah. Rest... Like I have the time for that,” Droog punctuated.
    Slick rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well Babe isn't a snobby rich type.”
    “Use your own girl against me, you prude.”
    Slick's face twisted up into a frown. “ 'PRUDE'?! Aw, you're just askin' for it. Remember that girl from a week ago?”
    “... Other than 'Sweetheart'?”
    “Yes. Other. Than. Her.”
    “So... Snowman... Got it.”
    Slick glared daggers at his right-hand. “Ha-ha. Say that to me again pretty-boy. I dare ya.”
    “Guys, stop fighting!” Deuce hollered as the furniture was set down.
    Slick wanted to yell at him to go get a life or something, but his words became futile... How the heck was he supposed to insult Deuce?... It was an impossible law of nature.
    “.... He started it.”
    Droog, resuming his rather flat face sighed, knowing that for now that was the best truce he'd get out of his boss. He reached into his pocket and took out his cigarette case, opening it. “Real mature, Slick.”
    The air went stale for a moment... Not even a heated argument would make this day seem any more hopeful. No amount of terrible puns, or “remember when's” could explain how depressed everyone was.
    Deuce was the only one brave enough to break the silence. “Every one is feeling bad it seems....”
    The silence ensued again, confirming the statement said before.
    God, everyone would miss this place... Even if they opened up another speak-easy somewhere else... it wouldn't be the same.
    “So... Umm....” Deuce tried to start a conversation up again. “At least the weather is nice, though!”
    Every one of the boys gave Deuce a hard stare... Except for Boxcars.
    “Ya know what I'm gunna miss?” he asked to everyone.
    The rest of the midnight crew turned to him as if he was nuts. He had spoken of the problem.
    “I'm really going to miss the back-room... And being a Bouncer.... But mainly the back room.”
    There was a sound of a lighter lighting. “... This may seem pointless, but... Why?”
    Boxcars shrugged. “It's not easy bein' a bouncer... It was a good place to crash... Then I'd just wake up and hang out till opening the next night.”
    “Oh yeah! You did do that!” Deuce exclaimed.
    Droog cringed a bit. “Please tell me you at least brought clean clothing when you did.”
    Boxcars chuckled. “Deuce brought me some before my shift. It's okay.”
    After a long moment of pause, and clearly loosening tensions, Slick spoke up. “I'm gunna miss the bar.”
    Droog caughted back a chuckle. “Excuse me?”
    Slick smiled smugly. “You may be surprised, but your gal-pal is great when it comes to hooking people up... And she's hilarious to talk to.”
    Droog smiled curtly. “You're kind of funny, or my kind of funny?...... I guess I'll miss the music, and dancing...”
    “But you don't dance.”
    “I have people to dance for me and that's all that matters,” Droog retorted.
    Deuce bit his lower lip and rubbed his head. “I.... I'm going to miss.... All of it!... I know it's not specific, but... Yeah. Everything means something to me. I made friends here. I met my girlfriend here. I taught her to play goldfish here.... I.... I'm gunna miss everything. The smell, the sounds, the fights... I'll even miss being stepped on.”
    The stale air resumed.... At least until Droog opened his cigarettes again.
    Boxcars frowned. “At least finish your last one.”
    Droog tossed the nicotine stick to Boxcars. “Not for me.” He then handed one to Slick, and then one to Deuce
    “... Um... I've never smoked.”
    Droog shrugged, and tossed Deuce a lighter.
    “... One time won't hurt.”