It was the middle of the freaking night, but she was just happy to have gotten out of the house on her own for once. But the cold was starting to get to her, so Cait jogged up the porch steps and shouldered her way into the Red Dragon. She held the door for the woman who was entering just behind her and then beelined a path to the break in the bar, heading for the coffee pot.

A cheerful smile was shot to Cait as Serah headed on in. "Kinda slow for a Friday night." Disappointed in some way but she still headed her way to the bar.

A mug was snagged on her way to the coffee and luckily a pot had been brewed not too long ago it seemed. "Right?" She was addressing Serah, though watching the black liquid being poured from pot to mug. "It's Friday. Where are all the drunkies?"

"Probably off at some club. Maybe that is where I should have gone tonight."

"Did you want coffee while I'm back here?" Cait looked up expectantly at Serah, then over at the girl joining her behind the bar.

"No thanks! Normally I'd go straight to the pot but I think I am in a beer mood tonight."

Connor pushed the door open with one hand, the other on his forehead. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light... even if it wasn't too bright, right now anything was too bright for him. After entering he unzipped the Union Jack hoodie, since it was also really really warm in here too. Or maybe it was just the effects of a lot of alcohol. Apparently there was a crowd around, so he did his best to avoid everyone as he meandered to the bar.

There was a bit of a squint as she eyed Connor?s entrance, but she simply shrugged and skirted through the break in the bar to the commons. The hot mug warmed her hands as she carried it across the room towards a seat at the far end of the bar.

Connor set his elbows on the bar and his head in his hands, closing his eyes as he ran long fingers through his already messy hair. "Ugh," he muttered to himself.

Looking over, Serah raised a brow at the fella who looked like he was having a rough one. "Bad night?" Probably none of her business.

Cait glanced over after his sigh. But Serah had beaten her to the punch, though, so Cait just blatantly eavesdropped for now.

"Bad week," he answered, speaking directly into the bartop. He turned his head toward the direction of the voice, waiting for his eyes to properly focus. "You've got pink hair."

That was his go to? She grinned and nodded to him. "Yeah. It is natural too." At this point it was just an acceptance on her part.

"Okay, good. I wanted to be sure I wasn't seeing things yet," Connor chuckled, lifting his head up and trying to not look like such a mess. "So! Yeah. Bad night, trying to make it so it's not worse. But if I really wanted to do that I should have cut myself off..." he looks at his wrist -- it doesn't have a watch. "Ugh, a couple days ago."

Serah turned her aqua colored eyes to Cait and her grin turned sheepish. "I hate to be a bother but think I can take you up on that coffee? Forgot my money at home apparently so no beer for me."

"No beer? No! Not on my watch!" he exclaimed, digging into his front pocket, then slightly lifting his behind from the stool to dig in his back pocket and finally pulling out whatever currency he had. "You can get a round. On me. Otherwise I'll get another one and that is probably a bad idea." He gave an exaggerated nod toward Serah.

Cait laughed and set her mug down, smiling at Serah. Of course, then Connor was all about the beer. She eyed him warily. He didn't look like he needed anymore. "I....could get you both some coffee?" Fishing a little. Setting her mug down, she headed back behind the bar to get more coffee for the two of them.

Curling her fingers into her palm, Serah looked over to Connor. "No that is okay but thank you for the gesture. Maybe you should have some coffee too!"

"I guess this pays for coffee too..." he looked at the coins in his hand, trying to count what he had and coming up double. He then lifted his head and gave a bright smile to both Serah and Cait. "Sure! Coffee!"

The first mug was set in front of Serah. "I guess we found the drunkie," she muttered quietly, smirking. Then another poured and pushed towards Connor. The sugar and milk were set between the two of them.

"Coffee don't cost a thing so your money isn't any good." She playfully wrinkled her nose at Connor and giggled when she heard Cait. Plucking the vial out of her pocket she uncorked it in order to add a little of the bitter scented powder to her coffee. "Thank you, Miss!" That to Cait.

"Thank you!" Connor nodded to Cait with the same grin on his face; it seemed like it took too much effort to change whatever expression he had on his face. Bypassing any sugar or milk he just went right for the mug and took a drink. After setting it back on the bar, he looked back from Serah to the money in his hand, and then stuffed it down the front right pocket of his jeans.

"Sure thing!" Caitlin beamed. She glanced back at Connor, head tilting to the side. "You need anything else? A bucket to puke in, maybe?" She snickered, leaning on the bartop across from him.

"No, I don't throw up. I've got a really strong stomach," he said, very proud of himself. "In what I do, there's lots of twists and turns and heaving and it would be bad if I had a weak stomach." Connor nodded a few times, much like a bobblehead.

Serah snickered as she corked the vial and placed it back into her pocket. She smiled to Connor, trying hard not to snicker more at Cait's comment about the bucket.

That was when Cait caught sight of Deacon as he came through the door. Dressed to the nines in his suit and tie, he shrugged out of his coat. It had been a little over a week since he?d been attacked, so the swelling was down, but he was still bruised. The cut on his cheek had a butterfly bandage over it. "Oh shit, I'm in trouble."

"Yeah, we're all in trouble," Connor muttered to himself as he heard Cait's last sentence. Then he shook his head and cleared his throat. "Why you in trouble?"

Deke wasn't so much hearing her, as he saw her first, leaning across from some guy. Wouldn't be the first time and this place brings out the horn in most people. He took long strides to the bar, stopping just short of it with a glance at Connor, then at that shock of pink hair, then finally to Cait.

She'd pretend like nothing was amiss. "My...friend who is a guy," nodding at Deacon as he strode towards them. She tripped over those words, cheeks flaming by the time he'd come to a stop. She shouldn't be surprised at being found so quickly.

"Ah, trouble with the boyfriend," Connor nodded to Cait, then tapped his nose. "I could tell you sooooo much about relationship problems! So I feel ya."

"Good evening," Deacon said. Then a glance at the man speaking and back to Cait. "I'm sorry, I didn't know we were having a problem."

"He said it, not me!" Cait looked a little sheepish, regretting her decision to leave without telling him now. She looked back over at Connor who appeared to be trying to get his flirt on with Serah, so she straightened up from the lean and turned to face Deacon. "Want some coffee?"

"I was thinking something stronger than coffee." He smiled for her and moved down a bit from Connor and Serah.

Cait followed after him, since her mug of coffee was down there where she'd left it earlier. She reached for it and took a long swallow before quirking a brow. "It's, like, two-thirty in the morning."

A flick of wrist and his cuff pushed up past his watch to check the titanium and gold face. "Yes, but coffee will wake me up, the booze, not so much."

"There's de-caf." Caitlin stared at him, then bent to peruse the bottles beneath the counter. She came up with a bottle of Scotch, rather old, but knew he'd have the money for it. A slender hand caught a snifter by the rim and set it in front of Deacon. Brown eyes found his face again as she poured, remaining silent for now.

He watched her and finally asked. "What's that look for?"

She felt both guilty for leaving and irritated that he'd come looking for her. Caitlin just shook her head at him, recapped the bottle, and took another sip from her mug.

He picked up the snifter with his left hand and lifted it to his mouth. An exhale blew out the fumes before he took a small swallow.

"I was starting to get cabin fever," she finally explained, looking into her mug while she spoke.

He simply nodded. He wasn't really out looking for her. She was gone and it wasn't the first time that he'd woken up that way...no, not with her, but others. He was going to go by her place and be sure that she was okay, but it so happened that she was here. "That can happen." He finally said with a smile.

The man was impossible to read at the moment. She'd play innocent until she found out one way or the other. Taking up a lean much like the one she'd used earlier in front of Connor, Cait locked eyes with Deacon. "So what's got ya all decked out and roaming the city at a time like this?"

"I had a call from Kyle, someone tried to break into the uptown office. Just a bum, no losses," He took another swallow. "Then I thought I would check on you, as I thought maybe you'd decided to go back home."

"Just a walk," she shrugged. "But I think I might go back home this weekend. I think it's time, don't you?"

"No, not overly. I've been enjoying you being there." He was being honest as he drained the last bit from the snifter.

"You're going to get bored of me, though." She propped her chin up on her palm. "If I don't leave, how can you ever miss me?"

"I really, truly, doubt that." He placed both hands on the bar then, watching her.

Brown eyes flickered in Serah and Connor's direction, then back to Deacon. "Why's that?"

Dark eyes flicked to her, then down the bar, and back. "Really? Should we talk about this here?"

"Or not," she drew the first word out. Lips pursed, brown eyes focusing on her drink again. She lifted the mug to her lips and took a long, slow sip, if only to have something between her and Deacon for a moment.

He sighed and shook his head. "I was worried about you, you know the reason why... but I like you around, because I enjoy your company, and the closeness." He was barely raising enough volume to push the words past his lips.

It probably wasn't fair of her to force him into public declarations. But like any girl, she liked hearing those kinds of things out loud. But the stiff emotion and his embarrassment only hurt her feelings. The muscles in her jaw jumped as she chewed on her words. Finally, the brunette swallowed audibly. "I like being around you, too. But I need to go back home. The ward is in place and things have calmed down."

"Damn it, Cait. Stop it, please?"

"You can't just hold me hostage because you're worried something bad might happen." Voice lifting, brows furrowing as anger built up inside.

"For f*cks sake, I am not even talking about that!" Hands went up in exasperation. "I'm talking about that look of disappointment when I'm trying to tell you that I like you and stuff." He reached for that bottle again.

"Well maybe you shouldn't sound like you're afraid someone might hear you," she snapped, pushing away from the bar. The brunette shook her head, aiming for the break so she could leave.

"I just thought maybe it could be somewhere a little more private." He didn't move, except to fill that snifter. "Wasn't afraid of anyone hearing that I might love you a little. Surely don't give a rat's arse if they know I want you safe." Grumbled as he took a swallow.

"Look at all the f*cks I give about privacy!" That was more of a yell, as they were now across the room from each other, arms held out to indicate the lack of anything between them. Caitlin bristled as she slid through the break in the bar. She was halfway to the door when a certain little word managed to sink into her pretty little head. Suddenly her outburst felt childish.

He snorted and poured another glass full. "Stubborn as the nights are long, swear to Christ." still muttering to himself. "Try to be a little private when you are wanting to share feelings but nooo, gotta be all about you."

And Deacon couldn't just let it go, could he? Caitlin glared at him, lips mashing into a thin line. Without another word, she shoved the door open and stalked out of the inn.

He turned around and looked toward the door, and shook his head. "Stubborn, I swear." He pulled his clip from his pocket and shoved a few bills into the till before gathering his coat and heading out, intent on finding her and setting a few things right. He looked down the street, and then got into his car, driving off in the direction that he knew she would have gone.