Prickly Prompts - 7. #775 A Rough Night

Noah climbed the barstool at his favorite bar-slash-pizza place. “A coffee, black, and a slice of pepperoni pizza.”

Tonino glared at Noah’s bloody knuckles and torn tee-shirt. “Rough night?” He slammed the cup down with such force that some of the coffee splattered on the bar’s polished surface.

“You could say that.”

When Noah said nothing else, Tonino huffed, irritated, and went into the kitchen. A minute later, he placed a plate with hot, steaming pizza in front of his best friend. “How is the person on the other side of those fists?”

“Dead.”

“What?” Tonino yelled.

Noah placed his glasses beside the plate with shaking hands and pinched the bridge of his nose. “The guy thought it was a good idea to run to a police officer with a knife in his hand.”

“Shit! And why are your knuckles bruised?”

“He was kicking his puppy when it didn’t understand which way to go after the leash became entangled in a bush.”

“Of course you had to help the puppy.” Unasked, Tonino added a generous amount of alcohol to Noah’s coffee.

“The guy was wearing steel-capped boots! Asshole, he’d have killed her.”

“Where was Ben?”

“He stayed out of it exactly like I told him to and called the police while I engaged the fucker. It’s never good for a black man to be involved in a brawl.”

“At least you were thinking.” Tonino wiped the bar. “Let me guess, Ben brought the puppy to the vet.”

“She has several broken ribs and a punctured lung.”

“Will it survive?”

“The vet is hopeful.”

Tonino shook his head and suddenly grinned. “Why can I see another addition to the Myer- Kerrigan-household?”

Noah shrugged. “Ben said he named her Grace.”

Tonino’s phone rang. After a brief look, he chuckled and quickly swiped the screen to the side. Immediately a crying child sounded from the speaker. “He’s teething,” he said, and smiled enthusiastically as if it were the best news ever. Cooing into the phone, he looked around the bar. Only three people sat at the tables nursing their beers.

“Go home to your kid, Tonino. Show him his papa always comes home for him, whether he’s teething, crashed his bike into the neighbor’s car, or fell in love with a boy,” Noah grinned at his friend.

Tonino pointed at Noah. “Nothing of that,” he scowled. After a pause, he winked. “For that he goes to his godfather.”

“Go home.”

“You’re right.” Tonino turned to the kitchen. “Gio!”

“Yes, boss?”

“Can you close up tonight?”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Outside, Noah shivered in the cool wind, pulled the zipper of his hoodie up as he hurried home. A dark shadow stepped out from a side street. “I knew you would go to Tonino’s.”

“How’s Grace?”

“She’ll be okay. I missed you.”

“Let's go home."

Thank you @comicfan for providing just another inspiring prompt.
  @Valkyriefor the 'tacked on' comment and the edits.
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