Thread: The Professor With the Thorn in His Side (PassTheHatchet & dearestdarling)

Adam didn't bother to look in the mirror after tugging a black tee over his head and flattening the front with a quick sweep of a hand across his stomach. He combed his fingers through his hair and shrugged. Save for that one lock that always strayed down over his right eyebrow, it felt straight enough. Besides, he knew there would be nobody to impress at the bar. The place was seldom more than half-full, and even then it was an odd crowd of college professors and the random hipster who wandered in hoping to discover the next hot spot. Late summer was on the cusp of slipping into early autumn. The evenings were still warm, and ones like this wouldn't last much longer, so Adam decided to walk while he still could. He stepped out under a fading blue sky, his sneakers barely making a sound on the sidewalk as he walked and watched the clouds turn bright orange and soft pink. The bar was only a few blocks away, and by the time he arrived the sun was gone and night was setting in. The room was long and narrow with walls of exposed brick, which made perfect sense when the bartender explained one night how the bar had been built in the wide alley between two existing buildings. Adam pulled up a stool and ordered a drink, only to be joined too quickly by a student who must have ended up there by mistake. One minute of the boy's thick, dumb laugh was all he could take before he nodded a silent 'thanks' to the bartender and slipped away to enjoy the rest of his drink in the quiet of an empty booth. He took his time, letting each sip slow things down just a little more until nothing was left but an amber drop on the rim of his glass. He was already feeling its subtle effect, but not enough to make him stumble when he got up to use the bathroom. The restrooms were in the back, down a narrow hallway that lead to the rear exit. A single, barely-living bulb did its best to lift the hallway, but failed for the most part. From inside the bathroom Adam could hear shuffling and dull voices, and figured the bear of a frat-boy was stumbling his way to relieve himself. He dried his hands and turned to make a quick exit but paused when he cracked the door open just enough to see a hulking silhouette coming his way with a much smaller one struggling beside him. The woman's voice was familiar, but in the nearly nonexistent light Adam couldn't make out a face. He watched and listened for a moment, his heart pounding faster and harder with each beat. She was reaching into her purse... Taze him right between the legs . Adam waited for the guy to get what he had coming, but it never came. All forethought and common sense vanished as the pair drew closer. Just a little closer, you son of a bitch . They were a step from the men's room door and three more to the darkness of the back alley. Come on, you know you want it! All you have to do is lift your dr- The sentence ended with a grunt as the heavy body hit the floor. Adam stood in the doorway, foot extended just enough to trip the bigger of the two. He stepped between the woman and the dumbfounded man on the ground, bent to help him to his feet with a rough grip on his collar. You'll have to find somewhere else to stick it tonight, ass hole. Adam growled a whisper into the man's ear as his body landed with a thud against the back door, forced it open, then fell again into the alley. His face was hot with anger and adrenaline when he turned again, hair tousled and eyes wide. Did he hurt you? He asked the woman's silhouette. His voice was still a little gruff, but a couple deep breaths calmed him enough to speak more softly. I thought you had him there for a second. He didn't remember picking it up, but her purse swayed from his extended hand.