undergrounds | merry & bright (christmas, closed to dodger & cooper)

Christmas day had gone the way it always did. Nancy had woken up early and gone over to the den with the multitude of Christmas presents she had for the boys. They'd gotten up, played games, opened gifts and ate more than they could recall eating within the last year. Along with all of that, of course, came the drinks, and by the time they'd lit the menorah that night, Nancy was drunk.

Most Christmases, whenever Nancy got too drunk, Bill wasted no time in carrying her off to bed and patiently putting her down. But this Christmas, as with so many others, he wasn't here. So the job of putting Nancy to bed- or at least making sure she got back to Cooper's house- was placed on the next logical choice.

The Artful Dodger.

Somehow, the two of them had managed to trip their way up from Saffron Hill to Cooper's flat, arm in arm. The two of them laughed freely, Nancy occasionally slipping Dodger her flask, from which they both had been drinking liberally.

The laughter continued until they approached the door, at which point, Nancy turned to her brother. "Shh, shh!" She tells him, putting her hand in front of her lips. The result is messy, and she leans against the boy already much taller than her. "We have to be quiet! Shh!"

Naturally, when a drunk woman tries to be quiet, she tends to make more noise than is necessary, and this was true for Nancy as well. She struggles to open the door, and gestures for Dodger to come in. "Come in," she says, even if he's already been in before.

The second she closes the door behind her, however, and she's dissolved into a pile of giggles.

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Cooper just shakes his head at the exuberance of the pair. He'll be soon to join them as soon as he's properly tipsy. He goes to the kitchen and pulls out three glasses, two small and one tall. If he gives them too much, they're liable to pass out on the floor. That tile can be awful cold sleeping on it.

He lifts his glass up towards them. "Here's to you too. Bravin' cold on Christmas 'n whatnot to get Nancy back home."

She hoped that, should she pass out on the floor, Cooper would have the good sense to carry her to bed. Maybe put Dodger on the couch, but she wouldn't hold her breath for that.

Nancy gives Dodger a look as Cooper gets them the drinks. "Well I thank you kindly for the gift, Dodge. it's right nice it is." He had wonderful taste, and if he would believe it, she had never had one.

Nancy grabs the glass, and raises it. "And t'you! 'm sorry I couldn' bring you, but I wanted t'!"

"Ah, anythin' fer you, Nance! the Dodger replies cheerfully. He takes the glass, raising it in the toast before drinking half of it down in one go.

"Ah, cold ain't nothin' compared to what we'd get if he found out we'd let Nance out on her own," he said without much thought to it. Nancy was home and safe now, and the drink was surprisingly nice. He preferred gin, maybe beer, but this stuff weren't half bad.

"Never you mind, sweet-pea. I found something t'occupy my time with all day." Cooper was used to dealing with Christmas by now. It was refreshing to see it all through a pair of young eyes.

Cooper drains one glass at a gulp and immediately pours again. He's got a while to go if he hopes to catch up to Nancy and Dodger's level of drunken happiness. He tops off both of their glasses. They're both stuck here tonight now. For a moment, he wonders if he should really be encouraging underage drinking. Dodger definitely doesn't look old enough. Oh well. They're all headed for hell anyway.

"Damn straight!" She held her glass out to Dodger in a gesture, before drinking some of hers. It was thicker than she'd been drinking all night, taking her a bit by surprise because hey, liquid is hard sometimes.

"Good! I was worried about you." She ruffles his hair a bit, leaning heavily against him. "At least we had last night. Aaaaaand tonight!" Dodger was probably going to hear a lot of noises he didn't want to tonight, if Nancy had her way.

"All day worried. Dodger, what about my booooooy," the Dodger laughs, making to jokingly shove at Nancy. "Can't be lettin' the ol' crook know about the boooooy." He takes around drink from the glass, coughing once and looking over at Cooper.

"So, c'n I have a go of yer bike?"

"Nancy, not in front of the child." Cooper jokingly tuts. Physically, he was only a few years older than Dodger was anyway, and it looks like whatever innocence the kid had had was lost a long time ago.

He scowls at the little nuisance when he asked about his motorcycle. "Nobody touches my bike but me. Not nobody and not nohow."

"Shut up!" She scolds the two of them, wrinkling her nose at Dodger, and putting her hand on Cooper's chest. Seriously though, Dodger, you be quiet. She doesn't want to have a discussion about Fagin right now.

"He's seen worse," Nancy tells Cooper, leaning her head on his chest. He may be relatively short, but Nancy's still a good six inches shorter than him at least.

Nancy laughs- Cooper and his bike. She shakes her head, "Oi, I've been on it. Nearly run over by it, too."

"Seen worse, done worse," the Dodger gives a shrug. Life is ... interesting, if you live the way he does. Not that he's got anything wrong with that/ Well, maybe once or twice.

"Oi, you nearly runnin' over our Nance?"

Cooper tips back his glass, slinging an arm across Nancy's back that threatens to slip a little lower. "How do you think we met? I nearly ran her over, she flattened one of my tires, 'n things just went on from there." Not the best meet cute story of all time, but it worked for them.

Nancy moves in closer to Cooper. The more cuddly he is tonight, the better.

"I did! Can't believe I forgot about that!" She laughs, her nose wrinkling up at the tip. "I was so mad at you!"

Then they were at the Redbright party, and found each other in the sea of people dancing.

"...Yeah, sounds like how it would happen." The Dodger nods. Of course Nancy would fall for someone who almost ran her over. Of course. Only makes sense.

"What can I say? I'm just that charming." He cackles because, let's face it, it was he who ended up being the one who fell head over heels for Nancy. It had never been a question of if, just of when. He might have still been sitting on his heels and wondering when she'd notice him if it hadn't been for his jealousy finally getting the better of him.

"A charming jerk," Nancy reminds him. The weight of Dodger's words goes unheeded. Normally, she'd know exactly what he was thinking, and would demand he put a stop to it immediately- Cooper had only seemed likely to hurt her once. And that was because she'd just witness him break a man's hand.

"He's the beeeest," she sighs, leaning against Cooper a bit more. "Oh! more drinks! So many more drinks!" She reaches for the egg nog, determined to pour everyone more.

"More drinks!" It's a yell of agreement, nodding so hard his hat slips down over his eyes. But he laughs and jerks it back into the correct spot.

merry & bright (christmas, closed to dodger & cooper)

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