"The usual?" Buffy went straight to business and was already pouring him a mug of rum. After all, the bar was rather busy -- in a time like this, it seemed to be one of the few places where Lucetians and Kin'corans could interact with some semblance of friendship. Drink helped, she supposed.

It didn't matter that they'd recently nearly-quarrelled over his drinking. It didn't even really matter that they'd been quarrelling semi-frequently. She was at work and she was on her feet and somehow that was more tiring than it had ever been, before.

She sat the mug -- it was one of the few clean ones left in the place -- on a coaster.

And now there was a whole bunch of rum sitting between them -- unclaimed. Buffy's shoulders dropped. Oh well. It wouldn't go unclaimed for long.

"I've got a full house. I can't just walk out, mid-shift. Not this time."

Not like usual.

"...I can't. I--"

No. Can't was the wrong word. "I could be needed. Here. Vampires, or..."

Her voice also dropped. Buffy planted one hand on the bar and she leaned forward.

"If you wanna go, though? Well..."

I won't stop you. Buffy watched him. Waited.

I won't run.

Buffy pushed off the surface and grabbed at her bar rag. Even she could see that her approach was wrong. She deflated by a small measure or two. "I'll be fine. I'll pinky swear it, if you want me to."

...A hugging-oath. It was the sort of thing she would have agreed to in a heartbeat -- weeks ago. But ever since the soul-sin had surfaced, they spent so much time at arm's length. There were exceptions: the mission kiss; the perfunctory affection; the late, exhausted snuggling on nights when love won out over heartache.

But Buffy nodded. "Lemme just fill a few more of these drink orders? First?"

A gin and tonic. A tall beer. A few more fine red wines. She worked fast and she worked skilfully, even if she didn't manage to work with much warmth. It wasn't that she didn't want to make the strangers feel welcome. Rather, she wasn't used to so much work. A smile with service became her last priority.

But after a good twenty minutes, she found enough downtime to slip from behind her bar and come up behind the pirate. She placed a hand tentatively on his elbow -- it was easier than speaking loudly over this din.

"Hey."

"And I, hopefully, have an answer."

Just maybe not the one he wanted, she thought -- thinking she knew the question to begin with.

He should have placed his bet on splitting the difference. Buffy did take his hand but she didn't allow herself to be led anywhere. Not without considerable hauling, at least.

"Use your words, hun."

"You know," she scolded him mildly even as her feet began to move, "the less you trust them, the more they won't trust you back."