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bebepac · 3 years ago

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Eating For One

Original Post: 08/24/21 at 8:40PM EST.

I am participating in @wackydrabbles prompt # 109 “I would die before I let anything happen to you.” will appear in bold.

I am also participating in @choicesaugustchallenge day # 25 kiss and make up.

This is The Meet Chapter 8. To catch up on what you’ve been missing so far, please click The Meet.

I decided to make this a Prequel to Greek Meat . If you haven’t read it, it’s a funny read.

The Book: TRR AU (no royals) Pairings: Liam x Jilian (Liam x F!OC) / Leo x Bebe (Leo x F!OC) Word Count: 1864 Warnings: Profanity, sexual innuendo Rating: PG

Summary: The couples go out on a double dinner date. Riley leaves for California.

Leo, Liam, and Riley belong to PB, Jilian belongs to @queenjilian , and all other characters are my own to tell our story.

Bebe glanced at Leo. Damnit, Bebe had ghosted people, or put them on the block list for less. He freaking forgot about her, causing her to wait out in the sweltering North Carolina summer heat and humidity for him for over an hour. She had told him things were okay, but she was still angry with him.

“I’m going to have to take a shower before we go out to dinner, I feel disgusting.”

“Alright.”

Once back at Liam and Leo’s apartment, Bebe quickly greeted everyone and made a quick beeline for the shower to get freshened up for their night out. Her leaving some clothes in Leo’s closet really saved her today. The outfit she had planned to wear out that night with a few minor accessory tweaks, was a total loss and she felt like she had swamp ass in it.

She stared at herself in the mirror, straightening her dress. Not as cute as outfit number one, but it would do fine in this pinch.

Walking back out of Leo's room he abruptly stood and smiled at her. “You look beautiful Bee.”

“Thanks.”

“Everyone ready?” I’ll drive.”

They all headed out to Liam’s vehicle, and it took him no time to get everyone to the restaurant.

The restaurant was crowded but thankfully they had gotten reservations so there wasn’t a wait, as they were quickly seated when they arrived. When the waitress arrived for drink orders, Leo ordered himself a drink and one for Bebe.

“I’m not drinking tonight, can you make that vanilla rum and coke a sweet tea instead?”

He looked surprised at Bebe.

“I have to work tomorrow, and early. I’m not trying to be all hungover at work.”

“I understand, I’m still drinking, but I have to pick up your car for you in the morning.”

“I’m guessing you mean ‘we’?” Liam inquired.

“It would save me not having to get a ride share to the mechanic, and then back home from Bebe’s job. Thanks Li, I owe you one.”

“You’re buying our dinner tonight. That's how I'm collecting.”

“I can buy my own….” Jili started to say.

Liam softly shushed her. “I was buying your meal, so it’s like me eating it, now me doing a favor for my brother, he’s got me. We’re teaching him a lesson. Not being responsible gets expensive.”

“I know I made a mistake, but Bebe, forgave me for it.”

Did she though?

Jili thought Bebe looked like she was in her place of quiet anger.

Jili raised an eyebrow at Liam.

“You guys know I'm indecisive. What's everyone getting?” Bebe asked.

“The whole left side of the menu looks great, I think I’m going for that.” Jili chuckled.

“You’re worse than me Jili, and hit him where it hurts!" Liam laughed out loud.

Leo glanced around the table. "I see how y'all are."

There was silence as everyone looked at their menus and ate some of the complementary bread sticks.

Liam affectionately put his arm around Jili as she sat in the booth with him, they smiled at each other.

Leo glanced at Bebe raising an eyebrow. She nodded in agreement.

“Jili and Liam… there’s actually something we wanted to tell you.” Leo started saying.

He took Bebe's hand in his.

Jili’s eyes widened, and she gasped loudly.

“Oh my GOD!!!! You’ve never turned down alcohol Bebe, are you pregnant?”

Bebe spit out her drink she had been sipping.

“WHAT?!?!?! OH GOD NO!!!!!!! Bleh!!!!!"

“I thought you wanted kids someday Bebe?”

“The operative word in that sentence is SOMEDAY. As in not right now!

“Oh my god, my bad Bebe. It’s where my head went, I have three pregnant nurses that report to me. And everyone has baby fever at work."

"He can't even pick me up on time, do you think I'd have a baby with him? Seriously? I would have to murder him the first time he forgot to pick up our child from school."

Liam heard Bebe's reaction but he was glancing at his brother. Liam winced at the expression on his brother’s face. Leo actually looked hurt.

Maybe Bebe was still feeling some kind of way about earlier, because that was some serious shade she was throwing.

Leo finished his drink in one long gulp.

"Excuse me for a moment.” Leo jumped up from the table abruptly walking away.

“Oh come on! He has no right to be butt hurt, he wasn’t the one left waiting for me for over an hour.”

“I mean……” Liam started to say and then shut his mouth. Part of the reason Liam shut his mouth was that Bebe wasn’t his friend like that. Conversations like that, those knowledge bombs, have to be dropped by someone close to you that knows you for you to truly be receptive. He glanced at Jili, and she seemed to know what was on his mind. She nodded slightly in agreement.

“Bebe, you know you were savage with that comment.”

“Not you too Jili.”

“Bebe… you know…”

“He forgot me!”

“Did you tell him that?!?!?!? Don’t do the passive aggressive anger thing with him. Well maybe not so passive. If you have a problem you talk about it, you don’t air it like that, Bebe with someone you care about, and you care about Leo right?”

Jili was completely right and Bebe knew it.

“Things weren’t supposed to be this complicated!” Bebe got up looking for Leo.

“Are we couples counselors now?” Kind of feels like we are.”

“They’re definitely a couple. They weren’t before, but they are now.”

“Awwwe, we witnessed their first fight. Our little babies are growing up.”

Liam chuckled at Jili. “You’re so silly. He does like her, but he’s not been in a relationship like this before. He’s never had to think of anyone but himself. But enough about them. Let’s talk about us.”

He slipped his arms around Jilian, nipping her neck.

“Mmmmm…. I already like where this is going Mr. Rys.”

"I just want you to know how much I care about you Jilian. I……. love you Jilian.”

Jili’s eyes widened, and Liam wiped the tears that fell from her cheeks.

“I love you Liam. I'm so glad we found each other."

"Me too." He pulled Jili close and he rested his forehead on hers .

Outside the restaurant

“Oh come on! You’re really mad at me? You’re mad at me?” Bebe's voice dripped in sarcasm and surprise.

“I asked you if you would forgive me and you said yes. I thought it was over and done with.”

“Um you can forgive someone and still be mad.” Bebe raised her voice.

“NO YOU CAN’T!! That means you don’t forgive them Bebe if you’re still mad!” His voice raised as loud as hers.

Leo took a deep breath, calming himself and trying to lower his voice. "We could always talk about anything under the sun. Being together shouldn’t change that. Bee.. talk to me.”

“You forgot me Leo…..You forgot me...”

He had never heard her voice sound so small and vulnerable with him. He realized this was not about him and her, but something so much bigger. He rushed to her.

“Bee, I’m so sorry. I promise you it wasn't on purpose. I care about you.”

“I didn’t have the best family growing up. I feel like I’ve spent my whole life waiting for things…. People…. And everybody always let me down.”

He listened to Bebe talk for a few minutes about her past. When she finally was silent again, Leo was shocked.

“I’m so sorry I brought up these past feelings you were trying so hard to forget. You can still be mad at me if you want. I can take it. If you need to take your frustrations out on me behind closed doors in the bedroom tonight, I volunteer as tribute.”

She playfully hit him, and a little smile quirked on her lips.

“There’s that smile I love. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

He stared at her hesitantly.

"I mean it.”

She puckered her lips.

“Let’s kiss and make up.”

She pulled Leo close and planted a kiss on his lips.

Can we go eat food now?”

“Yes, let’s go eat food now.”

They joined Liam and Jili back in the restaurant Leo and Bebe shared the news of their budding relationship to ears that already knew they were a thing. It was their first time double dating as two couples, and after the tough part of the evening, there was nothing but clear sailing. It looked like all involved truly cared about their partners.

The Next Morning

Leo took Bebe to work as planned, and showed back up around lunchtime with her vehicle and flowers

and lunch from their favorite Chinese food spot.

Bebe smiled as she put the vase of flowers on her desk at work. She was the envy of all her coworkers. One of the things she had waited for, seeing her coworkers get flowers from their significant others, when she never got any. Finally, it was Bebe's turn.

Riley and Jason -- that next afternoon

“Riley I wish you would think this through a little more. Donovan shouldn’t be expecting you to do this for him.”

“Dad I’ve had plenty of time to think about it. I love Von and I want to be there for him.”

“Jelly, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice yourself for who you want to become for someone. Your mother and I didn’t. That’s what you’re doing Baby Girl. You deserve so much more than this for yourself.”

“Please don’t do this our last few minutes together, Dad.”

“I just don’t want you to make a mistake you will regret. You don’t have to get on that plane.”

“But that’s part of life Dad. Life isn’t perfect, if this is a mistake, it’s my choice to make, and I’ll learn from it. That’s what you taught us to do Daddy.”

“I just want to protect you Jelly Bean from all the hurt and all the pain in the world. I would die before I let something happen to you.”

“Dad….” Tears filled her eyes because she believed her father. He had always tried to keep them safe from day one.

Riley hugged her father burying her face in his shirt.

“It’s true. You, your sister and your brother, are my whole world. We were lucky to have Jaiden, and we were even blessed when we got the call about two little identical twin baby girls that needed a home. It was the best decision me and your Momma ever made. Even though I don’t approve of what you’re doing right now, if you need us, call us.”

“I will Daddy, I promise.”

Her father pulled her into one last tight embrace.

They both looked up when they heard the boarding call for the first leg of her flight that would land her in Denver, CO for a 2 hour layover with her final destination being LAX.

“I gotta go.” He released Riley from their embrace, and tears filled his eyes as he watched her walk away from him. But before she was out of sight she stopped and turned and gave him a little wave.

Jason smiled and waved back to Riley. After a few moments she turned and walked out of sight.

Riley Brooks had locked in her destiny. She was headed to California, and in several years time, after experiencing some trials, tribulations, and significant heartbreak, she would finally meet the true love of her life, her soulmate, Liam Rys.

THIS WAS NOT A MISTAKE.

#bebepac writes #the meet #greek meat prequel #trr fanfic #trr fandom #no royals #liam x jilian #leo x bebe #trr liam #trr jilian #trr bebe #trr leo #wacky drabbles #choices fic writers creations #choicesaugust2021 #choices monthly challenge #play choices #choices fandom

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crqstalite · 5 years ago

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drabble, rain. [theron && tri’ama]

a little drabble i wrote over the course of two days because i finally finished shadow of revan and rise of the emperor, and i’m in loving theron shan hours. mostly, tri’ama remembering that she’ll never see him again.

written: 11.4.19. word count: 2,628

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"20. as we huddle together, the storm raging outside"

song file: chains, nick jonas.

character file: tri'ama amarillis & theron shan.

tri'ama doesn't like admitting weakness. whether that be in a duel, or out in the jungles of yavin iv, the emperor's wrath is never quick to give up a fight. you can believe she'd much rather die than say someone else or something else conquered her first.

but some armor doesn't always do the trick for the cool and damp nights of yavin as the coalition leaders break off from their meeting, and she can finally rub her temples without seeming annoyed with one faction or the other. she has no problem with the jedi at this very moment, nor is she particularly angry with the sith. a surprising balance, really. but, she is rather upset that the temperature dropped so quickly on the planet.

she tries to avert her eyes from where the republic allies reconvene off to the side, the red of theron's jacket taunting her, as if saying 'come over here'. shaking her head, she tries to ignore the bickering that most likely will erupt eventually between marr and lana. shivering, she figures there isn't much better to do than to go to sleep on the fury and get ready for whatever tomorrow brings.

but quinn was supposed to return from leave today, she remembers as she grits her teeth. the absence of her wedding ring and replacement with her grandmother's still weighs heavy on her mind as she frowns. so maybe not the fury tonight, not with how much it still smells like him and his cologne. there isn't much else to get up to on the outpost, and it's not like she can go forward without official orders from marr or satele. sleeping on the station seems like the best option today.

satele is so terrifyingly calm, it shivers her down to her very core as she picks up a datapad, scrolling through the current mission reports. most of which she herself had submitted, high concentration of massassi near a temple, lots of potent wildlife to keep at least one eye on at all times, and spirits wandering the caverns. nothing new or too concerning, so she's content to wander deeper into the jungle near the meeting alcove, still shivering as water soaks her hair through and plasters it into a near unrecognizable version of her previous style as it hangs down in front of her eyes.

wonderful. it was due for a wash anyways.

hiding under a low-hanging tree and pushing a particularly mischeveous blonde curl out of her face, she continues to scroll past paragraphs and paragraphs of hastily written aurebesh and she tries not to be remembered how cold she is. she's originally gone ahead and believed yavin was a jungle and would be as humid as warm as one, but clearly, she was mistaken because of the emperor's presence everything seemed to change. adding notes where required, she tries not to get too annoyed with the hurried mispellings of field agents and whatnot.

she wondered if the hand would come after her again if she badmouthed the emperor out loud instead of shouting at him every time something bad happened to her because of him. she chuckles, teeth audibly chattering. let them, she'd cut them down and then the man himself.

the light of the moon shines off the pond nearby, and she's happy to gaze into it from her perch nearby. should it not have been so cold, she would've been happy to take a dip, maybe not in the presence of the coalition forces, but swimming had always been a passion of hers. something that the incident on manaan had nearly taken from her, but she digressed. something about being eveloped by water and letting the waves take you or simply being content to sit at the bottom of a pool or pond was relaxing. nearly along the same lines of gathering fury for a fight.

oh ew, she sounded like a jedi now. maybe satele and the barsen'thor had more of an effect on her than she'd thought they had, with all their talks of rationality and actually thinking your problems through before acting. horrible ideas, really.

slicking her hair back into a messy bun, she unclips her respirator from around her jaw and breathes in the rainy air. now unfiltered, the air doesn't smell like the ocean, or really anything she's smelled before. dromound kaas is technically a jungle, but she's spent so much time in the concrete area that the smell is rather new to her. not yet comforting, but still oddly calming. the leaves of the weeping tree above her tickle her head and back as she shifts to a more comfortable position.

she's quick to hear the footsteps that are supposed to be quiet, and the even more recognizable force signature of none other than theron shan. she's sure she's not supposed to know he's coming, but she's also very sure that the man knows just how far her force powers extend, especially as the literal emperor's wrath. he is an sis agent, and her file must be a few hundred meters long and just as thick. out of the corner of her eyes, she can see he has his arms wrapped about him, his product filled hair starting to droop (she knows there's product in there, it's a lot of the same that mal-quinn used, same smell). "darth amarillis."

"what is it, shan? couldn't get on without me?" she asks, finally lifting her head as his surname crosses his lips in that deepy and husky voice of his. he rolls his eyes and she uncrosses her own arms and stands up straight.

"no, i thought i'd just seen you disappear up this way, that's all. wondered why, you usually head back to the station after missions." he answers indifferently.

"stalking me, shan?" she smirks, raising an eyebrow before he realizes what he's said. admitting to knowing her schedule is rather interesting, but he is a spy. he's trained to know these things about people. she smiles on the inside, he cared that much to learn her routine.

"you just...never come up here that's all. wanted to make sure you were alright." he's embarassed now, not meeting her eyes as he shrugs, looking everywhere but at her muscular, if not also short, frame. so confident, yet turns into a mouse when the two of them end up alone together. she'd find it funny, if she and quinn hadn't just ended the only relationship she'd ever been in.

"you don't have to apologize for being concerned, theron." her tone takes on a softer melody, trying to get him to look at her again. "it's more relaxing out here than it is on a hectic station. i didn't wish to fly all the way back to vaiken either."

"yeah, course." he says, in near agreement. she wonders whether this a point where she should press for the real reason he came over here, because if that was the case, lana probably would've wandered up here first or with him. the woman was a wonderful friend to tri'ama, and many had already mistaken them for siblings or distant family. but the nervous energy he has isn't fear, but some other anxiety of some sort. maybe the upcoming fight against revan is getting to him, she knows that's one of the few things racing through her mind.

he's a sight for sore eyes. on manaan, she was still trying to figure out all her issues with quinn, trying to figure whether grass was greener on the other side of the fence, and on rishi? after he'd been captured and interrogated, she was quick to find that she cared for the man, a lot. even if his faction had tried to kill her multiple times, and she'd killed millions of his in return. the heat of her cheeks just thinking about the kiss on rishi is nearly enough to keep from shivering.

he must've noticed because in less than a second he's shucked off his red overcoat and has tried to discreetly put it around her shoulders. the sleeveless armor is quickly forgotten as her neurons nearly stop firing and she sticks her arms through the sleeves. "cold out here, isn't it?"

"definitely." he responds. his shirt is a long sleeve, though is quickly getting soaked through by the rain. frowning, she's already got the jacket on and she is rather warm. giving it back doesn't seem like an option she wants to take right now either, but she also doesn't want to take advantage of his kind heart too much (bleh, light side talking again), so as he moves to leave, she pulls him back and instead puts her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his toned chest. he tenses, obviously, as she puts just enough fury to get her body warm again, and without the cold the blow out the flames, it's successful.

"tri'ama..." he nearly has a warning tone to his voice before visibly relaxing a bit, his heart rate slowing down back to normal as his body warms alongside her own. "you didn't need the jacket after all, did you?"

"i can't exactly generate enough myself when i'm below freezing, theron. so yes, it was necessary." she says smoothly, pulling away just enough to look up at him with a playful if not also dangerous look crossing her eyes. he's quite a bit taller than her, which is annoying enough, but not too much taller that she can't easily peck a kiss to his lips without too much trouble.

which she does, because her middle name is trouble.

he doesn't even move, shock evident before his cheeks turn a dusky pink, looking away as she grows closer again. with his face turned away, she plants another kiss onto the exposed cheek as he turns away again, another kiss on the other cheek. she finds it funny, he doesn't apparently. "would you quit that?" he says, trying to bat her away without success.

"i suppose, if that's what you want." she says, letting go of him immeditaly, he stumbles as she flips the collar of his jacket back up so she can hide her face in it. mostly, to hide her own crimson cheeks. it wasn't unusual that she'd do the same with quinn, if only to pull him away from work for just a moment or two. theron, however, is different from the imperial fanatic. flustering quinn was hard work, getting him away from his datapad was a struggle and a half, but theron? not so much.

her, even less.

the rain is pouring now as the two eventually come to their senses, tri'ama standing rigid under the leafs of the tree, only the occasional drop of rain managing to find it's way to the duo. assignment long forgotten, she tries not to show her interest too well, "after all this, where will you be, theron?"

"wherever the sis needs me." he sighs, as if really thinking about the extent of his job. she wondered what it was like, to not be force sensitive and rely on a secretive job to pay your bills and even possibly kill you in the process. the way his face is marred with bruises and scars, she withholds her hand to caress his face. she wonders where each one has come from, what the story behind each one is. "hard to predict where they send a secret agent."

"yes, of course." thunder claps in the distance as she really processes that after all this she may never see theron again. at least, not on the same side of the battlefield. "of course." she whispers at the end.

"what about you?" he finally asks, rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes just barely flashing a verdant green before staring back out at the landscape. "i mean...just where are you going to be posted?"

"i'm posted wherever i choose to be posted. but with the brewing war, i suppose i'll be seeing more rain on dromound kaas than the sunny skies of anywhere else." she says pointedly as she grimaces. what if she does have to fight against theron one day? his squadron, his troops. even him, if worst comes to worst. they'd dueled before, but not to the death. never to injury.

what if one day she has to?

"you uh, really like the sun, huh?" he asks, as he furrows his brow in concern, turning towards while she'd been mentally monolouging. she must've become all jaded again without realizing it. "thought sith could just go anywhere they went, anytime they wanted to."

"i have my responsibilities to the council. once i get back it's going to be 'jedi this', 'sith that', intelligence this or that, the sis...." she trails off, realizing if she kept talking she'd give away more than a few secrets that the council had to an sis agent of the opposite faction, "getting away and working for the coalition was really vacation enough."

"hmph." he says, grunting in response. he shuffles on his feet before standing sturdily in front of her, a serious expression falling over his features, "whatever's...uh..going on between us, you know it's all over when the coalition ends, right? i just, don't want to get your hopes up..."

"i'm rather aware." she deadpans, trying to put too much more thought into it. static buzzes in her head as she considers the matter, frowning. going home to quinn with the stench of another man on her, without another person sleeping with her at night. without the little things, tri'ama wasn't sure she could survive going home to the fury without theron, even with vette, pierce and jaesa seperating the two as much as they could. she'd have to face the fact that the mistakes she and quinn had made wouldn't easily been forgotten, or fixed, "nothing lasts forever shan. as much as we wish they did." she trails off.

"yeah." there's a sense of finality behind that. period, not a comma or a semicolon, the end. "can't holocall, can't send each other anything. won't see each other ever again."

"i'm not a child theron. i was aware of the consequences when i kissed you on rishi."

"i know, i know." he responds, before she grows ever-closer to him. he isn't quick to take her in his arms, but eventually allows her to hug him back. "just, i know what happens to people who accidentally take a sith to bed."

she stifles an eyeroll and a chuckle at the comment. while she's never been one to indulge people's stereotypes about sith, she would admit to knowing quite a few part of the order who'd later killed unsatisfactory lovers, "you've never taken me to bed shan, is that a request i hear?"

"just...you're a real minx you know that?" he asks, as she smirks. pressing a kiss on his lips, he presses back surprisingly before tightening his grasp on her. he's rougher than she expected, but she can be just as rough back. when he eventually pulls away, her still in his arms, she's still smiling, something's that's unusual as the compromising position she's in now.

"if i never see you again, theron, then i'll make what i have now last as long as possible." she says, making to wander away with his jacket still around her shoulders before shucking it off. handing it back to him and picking up her datapad, she kisses him one last time before whispering something so quiet she's sure over the rain he can't hear.

however, she may have underestimated his perception because the poor man's having an aneursym over three little words that have just shaken him to his core.

“i love you.”

#swtor #star wars the old republic #swtor oc #oc #original character #tri'ama amarillis-quinn #darth tri'ama amarillis-quinn #darth amarillis-quinn #theron shan #female sith warrior #sith warrior #female sith warrior/theron shan #yavin iv #yavin 4 #shadow of revan

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myeyesarebrighter · 6 years ago

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Bleh, today was just ok. It was 95 degrees and 90% humidity, so there wasn’t much getting outside. Baby and I just lapped around the house a few times when we needed to get out. I’m ready to have my car back so we can do laps in target next time I need to get out. Maybe end of the day tomorrow???

I’ve been trying to slow down and communicate more clearly with the husband - being clear what I need from him (solutions, action, information, etc). It is helping. When I ask “when will I have my car back?” he hears “WHY DONT I HAVE IT YET?!” So his answer is defensive and solution based ( “I’ll rent a car tomorrow!”). Today I cut off a disagreement by saying, please listen to what I am asking. I just need an update on progress. Also, we aren’t renting a car when I haven’t been paid in 2 months. He managed to stop himself mid spiral and just say “hey, I’m sorry. I feel bad for taking your wheels away. and the timing sucks.” It was really nice and made me feel less like killing him. So that’s working.

So if my car is mine tomorrow, we will need to pick up his truck at some point. So maybe I’ll get dinner out of the deal. We will obvs have to bring the kids, but still no cooking.

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thewayiremember · 4 years ago

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EPISODE 7

I don’t want to say I’m right where I started, but it really feels like it. The homeless lady told me everything she knew but I don’t know if that can lead me anywhere. I should’ve asked about her name, it feels rude to be calling her ‘homeless lady’. Or maybe I’m just plain brainless and simply cannot connect the dots. Yeah, I think that might be it.

Oh, no, there is one thing I didn’t know, because from what she’s told me I can assume that whoever beat me, did it before I got to that alley, right? She didn’t hear anyone fighting, or screaming, it’s like I was already unconscious. But why bring me there? So that I wouldn’t be found and nobody would help me? Dude, that’s too extreme, I could have died. What the heck have I done to you?

It’s very nerve-racking, solving mysteries. No wonder Sherlock does drugs.

I called Bobbie to come. To watch films or do anything, really, to get my mind off of scary stuff. I hope he’s not in a mood for horror movies.

03:16 PM

We were playing Mario Kart for three hours, which is absurd considering how beautiful the weather is outside. Bummer because I was told it’s going to be rainy for the next couple of days. But we’re smart and decided to go roller skating, taking advantage of the Sun still shining bright. Bobbie invited me for lunch before we go, but his dad had made fish, bleh. No, thanks. I’m fine with my leftover spaghetti.

You have no idea how good it feels to be occupied. I’ve never understood workaholics before. Like, how can you possibly choose, willingly, to spend all your free time after work, on doing even more work? But now I get it. They’re just very stressed-out people, who worry too much. Either overthinking what the future will bring or about their health, their children’s health. I’m the same, I love being lazy when I have zero concerns on my mind, but as soon as some kind of problem or responsibility comes my way, I need someone to keep me busy or I have to fight panic attacks.

09:20 PM

I’m glad we went outside, eventually. Although we almost didn’t because I was really struggling to find my skates. And then, when I found them, it felt like they had shrunk a little since last year. I had no idea I’m still growing. Still not a big boy, I guess.

It was nice not to think for a second. The Sun and its warmth on our skin, the birds and their songs that we heard, the wind and its… I forgot a word, but who said I didn’t like meditation? Because that’s kind of what it is, right? Focusing on and appreciating the things that surround you. Who cares about sitting still for an hour. That, I don’t think I could do.

“You’re looking a lot better than when I first saw you after coming back from camping,” Bobbie couldn’t resist bringing up that topic. “Your doctor was right, I guess, saying you heal pretty quickly.” I thought he finished, but no. “Are you still in pain?” Ugh.

“No, not anymore. Not compared to the first couple of days. Now I’d say that I’m just uncomfortable. Thanks for asking.” It is true, nothing really hurts, but when I’m physically active throughout the day I’ve noticed I get tired a lot sooner than before. But that’s normal, I suppose. It’s all going to get back to normal, so, no need to worry.

10:40 PM

I was pleased with myself that I had fallen asleep so early. It was a busy day after all, but the dreams are getting more vivid and it’s starting to feel less like a dream and more like reality. I remember the taste of her potion, like dirt in my mouth, I can feel the humidity of air on my skin and hear crickets chirping around us, I remember the pain her potion caused me.

“Go, you don’t have much time,” she says, but I hesitate and she’s getting angry. She knocks out the bowl of blood on her hands while trying to reach me, pauses for a moment and then pushes me to the ground.

Oh my God, it makes sense. How could I have not thought of that before? Maybe no one has beaten me up after traveling back here? Nora told me that after I drink the potion it might hurt, and I know first hand that it did, I felt the pain. Maybe that’s where all the bruises have come from and the alley is the place that Nora send me to? And those drunkards that the homeless lady heard are not related to my story at all.

I need a sign of some sort because I don’t know what to do with that information. None of it is leading me anywhere. Why would Nora send me to that alley in the middle of the night? Is that a sign? Is that supposed to tell me something? Nothing rings a bell.

I need another plan. I’m getting tired of not knowing, and angry because the girl seems so urgent but doesn’t feel like saying anything specific. Why is she playing games if she wants me to hurry up?

I think I’ll go to the hospital tomorrow, just because I don’t have any better ideas. Could dr. Gramm help me somehow? Maybe she or one of the nurses noticed something after I was brought there. I didn’t ask any questions when I was in the hospital, I didn’t care.

Well, things have changed since then.

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themusesofmars · 7 years ago

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Fanfiction Posted - Final Fantasy XV

@ignoctweek IgNoct Week Day 1, Prompt A: (Simple) Falling in Love Title: “Boys Will Be Boys” Rating: Teen+ (PG-13) Warnings: alcohol and tobacco use, strong language, mild sexual themes Synopsis: Noct is tired of being told what to do and sneaks out of the guys' hotel room to attend a midnight rave party. But he has unexpected company that leads to an unexpected romance. Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12593731/1/Boys-Will-Be-Boys Archive of Our Own: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11656380

Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio sat on a cushioned bench in their hotel lobby, waiting for Prince Noctis to join them. They were in Lestallum for the first time—just a pit stop on their agenda—and were planning to see the sights and enjoy some R&R before getting back on the road the following morning.

At last Noct appeared at the top of the winding staircase, dressed casually in a T-shirt, his jacket, and jeans. His boots resonated on the polished wooden steps as he descended at a leisurely pace.

“Ugh, finally!” Prompto was the first to leap to his feet. “Let’s go get some eats!”

Noct reached his friends near the landing and was surprised to be greeted by angry looks. “Were you guys waiting long?” he wondered.

“Oh…only about forty-five minutes or so,” Ignis answered with sarcastic indifference, following Prompto as the freckled boy bounded for the exit.

Noctis shrugged, scratching the back of his head. He hadn’t bothered to comb his long, dark hair before coming downstairs and it was still tousled from where it had been pressed against his pillow for the last two hours.

“Get enough beauty sleep, Your Highness?” Gladio asked mockingly, rolling his eyes at the prince.

“Sorry, jeez!” Noct grimaced as Gladio gave him a hearty push toward the door. “Seems like you guys could have used a longer nap, yourselves,” he muttered.

“Maybe we wouldn’t be so hangry if you had gotten ready for dinner a little bit faster,” Gladio growled back at him.

Noct ignored him this time and shoved the front door open. He and Gladio were instantly assaulted by the humid evening air as they met up with Prompto and Ignis. There was a large sculpture fountain in the plaza just outside of the hotel, but it was bone dry and coated in a layer of dust.

“Damn!” the prince remarked, “This place is hot!”

Gladio shrugged. “Just take your shirt off.”

Noct shot him a glare, noticing that Gladio had left his own shirt unbuttoned and hanging wide open. “Like you?” he scoffed. “No. Way.”

“What? Too embarrassed to show off your scrawny little body?” the brawnier man snorted.

“Hey—I’ve got muscles. You just…can’t see them.”

Gladio walked away from him, muttering under his breath, “If you say so…”

“It is rather sultry this evening,” Ignis agreed, wiping away the steam that had misted his glasses upon exiting the air-conditioned hotel lobby with a handkerchief he promptly tucked back into the breast pocket of his perfectly-pressed dress shirt. “Well, shall we see if we can locate a pub? Or visit the city market, perhaps, to sample the local vendors’ dishes?”

“Any food is good food,” Prompto said quickly, his stomach rumbling in chorus.

Ignis appeared to be personally offended by the remark. “It most certainly is not! Have you learned nothing from my catering during our travels? ‘Any food,’ indeed!”

“I vote we find a pub,” Gladio decided. “I could really throw back a cold one right about now.”

Prompto grinned. “I’m with ya, big guy.”

“There will be no underage drinking on this excursion,” Ignis sternly corrected him.

As one, the two junior members of the group cried, “What?!”

“Prince Noctis,” Ignis admonished the youth, “His Majesty entrusted me with your safekeeping. At the very least I intend to see that you obey the law. Gracious!”

Noct crossed his arms irritably. “Hey, I’m on my way to be married, you know.”

“And you’re welcome to drink champagne at the wedding ceremony,” Ignis sighed, “but at this moment, you are my charge, and I won’t have you overdoing it in a public place and causing a scene where the press may be watching.”

Before Noctis could ready another retort, Gladio interrupted. “Less whining, more walking,” he snapped, “before I starve to death.”

The four men headed down the street to see what they could see. At the end of the block they heard an unexpected commotion. Looking up the street from the corner, the group spotted a large crowd swarming around covered stalls.

“It appears we’ve located the marketplace,” Ignis said, his eyes lighting up. “Quite the bustle!”

“Looks like chaos,” Gladio argued dismissively. “Let’s find a bar.” He kept walking.

Ignis stared at the entrance to the farmer’s market for just a moment longer before conceding defeat. “I suppose I could rise a bit early and purchase fresh produce in the morning,” he consoled himself.

They continued on their way. “This place gets pretty lively at night!” Prompto commented, looking back over his shoulder at all the people spilling out into the streets, talking and laughing.

“You can party when we get where we’re goin’,” Gladio scolded. “Just remember, tonight y’all are gettin’ your asses to bed good and early, cause we’re getting back on the road at daybreak.”

Noct was getting angrier by the minute. He didn’t like being treated like a little kid—especially not by Gladio. They were practically the same age, but the other man sure acted like he had seen and done it all. “Ugh, you’re taking us the wrong way!” the prince complained. “This is just an alley. And it stinks.” He wrinkled his nose at the stench clinging to the trash bags littering their path.

“Would you be quiet?” Gladio retorted. “Just hold your breath until we get up these steps. I see lights; there’s gotta be something ahead.”

Noct put his arm across his face and stalked up the stone steps after the others, his expression dark.

Prompto couldn’t help letting a laugh slip. “Dude, you look like a vampire,” he snickered. “Bleh! I vant to suck your blood!”

The prince lowered his arm. “Okay,” he grumbled to himself, “maybe some of us are too immature to have a drink with dinner…”

Gladio had been right—of course, damn it. At the top of the alley steps they found themselves in a court surrounded by food kiosks, cafés, and restaurants, many with outdoor seating areas. And business was apparently booming. Musicians played homemade instruments on the corner, filling the air with samba music as street performers danced and twirled fire batons to the beat. The city was like a carnival, and it was inviting them in.

“Whoa!” Prompto gasped, whipping out his camera to take a few shots. Photography was his new favorite hobby. “Aw, man! That guy’s selling balloon animals! I’m gonna get one.”

“Don’t fall for the tourist traps,” Gladio warned. “Besides, that thing will just get in the way. Iggy won’t let you ride up front with him if you’ve got one of them things obstructing his view while he’s driving.”

“Okay, okay…” Prompto sighed. “You’re such a buzzkill.”

A group of teenage girls walked by, chattering loudly. One of them bumped elbows with Noct as they passed, causing the prince to scowl. It had kinda hurt, and the girl that did it didn’t even apologize, but he was quickly distracted by their conversation and forgot about the tingle in his funny bone.

“I can’t believe we’re seriously going to a party in the tunnel!” one of them squealed excitedly.

“It’s not like there’s going to be any traffic using the bridge, what with all the daemons roaming around at night.”

“So what’s to keep them from attacking the rave?”

“Duh! The lights, silly?”

“Oh, yeah!”

The conversation faded with the girls’ laughter.

Noct was intrigued.

“Check that out over there,” Gladio said, nodding his head toward a corner pub bearing a sign that proclaimed its name to be The Shady Frond. The pub had a menu stand advertising hot wings and cold beer in front of its doors, which were propped open and oozing delightful scents.

“Think they have fries?” Prompto wondered.

“I’m certain,” Ignis replied with a nod.

“Woohoo! Let’s go!”

Gladio was already on his way, and Prompto quickly chased after him.

“Coming, Noct?” Ignis called.

The prince had been preoccupied, thinking about the conversation he’d overheard. “Uh, what? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I’m coming.”

The Shady Frond was filled with loud conversation and the sounds of sports on the large televisions scattered throughout the bar.

“I’ll go find us a table,” Ignis offered, weaving through the crowd.

“Find one next to the tube!” Gladio shouted after him. “I wanna watch the derby.”

Prompto’s eyes widened with excitement. “Chocobo racing! Yay!”

“I’m gonna have a look around,” Noctis announced, eyeing a corner filled with arcade games…and teenagers.

Gladio slapped him in the chest with the back of his hand, just below the collar bone. Noctis winced. “Don’t go disobeying Ignis, you hear me?” he warned. “No beer.”

“Whatever!” Noct turned and stormed away furiously. He was tired of that guy acting like he was the only grown-up in the group.

There was a jukebox in the corner with the arcade machines, and young people were drawn to its flashing neon lights like fireflies. Noctis fit right in with his young face and the way he was dressed—which suited him just fine because he was bored out of his mind, fed up with his self-appointed babysitter, and craving some action.

Two girls and a guy that looked about his age were standing in front of the jukebox, dancing crazily to a song he’d heard on the radio a lot lately. He thought it was called “Real Emotion.” They were holding colorful drinks with little decorative umbrellas sticking out of the glasses, and seemed like they were having too good a time to be interrupted.

Instead Noct found a couple guys standing at the back of a group circled around an arcade machine. While everyone else seemed entranced by the player, who was clearly kicking some serious Monster Hunter 5 ass, the pair of boys were holding an animated conversation of their own and laughing loudly.

“Hey,” Noct greeted them.

They stopped laughing and turned to face him. “Heya,” one of them greeted.

“What’s the score?” Noctis asked, jerking his head toward the arcade game.

“Pssht.” The shorter of the two boys, who was sporting a red T-shirt, gave a snort. “The real name of the game is ‘Impress a Girl.’ Mark’s just hoping to show up at the party with an actual date.”

Hello, opening! “Oh, yeah,” Noct said smoothly, “I heard there’s a rave tonight in the tunnel.”

“You heard right.” Both boys grinned.

“So what’s the deal?” Noct asked.

The taller of the guys—wearing sunglasses even though they were indoors—shrugged. “Dress for dancing, bring some drinks to share. Oh—and don’t tell your parents.” He enumerated the last rule with a smirk that made it obvious he hoped he didn’t really need to say it.

Noctis grinned. “Trust me, I won’t. What time does the party start, anyway?”

“Midnight! Are you going to make it?”

The prince nodded without hesitation. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

When Noct caught up with the others, they had found a small table within viewing of three different television screens. All of them were tuned in to the chocobo derby.

“There you are!” Ignis said as Noctis approached their group, sounding relieved.

“I told you he was checking out the arcades!” Prompto grumbled. “Why doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?”

“You lost that quick, huh?” Gladio taunted. He had a beer bottle in his hand, condensation streaming down its sides. At least there were plenty of ceiling fans in the packed pub, so Noct didn’t envy his refreshment too much.

“Nah,” the prince said, shrugging and claiming a seat of his own, “the line was too long so I just bailed.”

“Right,” Gladio sneered across the table, clearly in disbelief.

Noct bristled. But then Ignis said, “Erm, Noct—the server has already procured our order. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of ordering you the house burger.”

The prince backed down, his shoulders relaxing. “I hope you told them to hold the tomato. And the lettuce.”

Ignis shook his head and heaved a sigh.

Noct echoed the sound. He couldn’t even choose his own meals with these guys around. But at least Ignis patronized him because he gave a damn; Gladio was constantly trying to one-up him and put him down. Noctis consoled himself by thinking he probably did it because something didn’t quite measure up to the size of his ego.

Prompto cheered as his favorite chocobo, a bright green fowl with enormous plumage, pulled into third place in the races.

“There’s no way that bird’s gonna win, Prompto,” Gladio said, criticizing the younger boy’s choice.

“You don’t know that! Look at those little legs go! He’s so cute…” There were stars in the young blond’s eyes.

Gladio snorted. “And those pretty tail feathers are gonna help him drag his ass across the finish line last!”

“Who gives a shit about the details?” Noctis snapped. “If he likes the fucking green bird just because that’s his favorite color, let him like the goddamn green bird!”

“Hey!” Gladio slammed his beer bottle down on the table. “You’re supposed to be representing the royal family of Lucis. You’d better watch your mouth, you little shit!”

“Gentlemen, please!” Ignis put a hand on Noct’s shoulder and waved another in front of Gladio’s chest, though he didn’t touch him. “Let’s just enjoy a quiet meal and try not to argue, at least for an hour. Agreed?”

Noct wanted to say a lot more, but Gladio was staring him down, just waiting for him to do something childish, so he refused to. “Fine,” he agreed instead. He pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and loaded up his favorite game, King’s Knight, and went about his business harvesting zell trees.

Gladio turned his attention back to the TV screen, jamming the mouth of the beer bottle between his lips.

Only once the two men had settled for ignoring each other did Ignis release his gentle hold on the prince’s shoulder. Prompto took turns staring at each of them until he finally regained his interest in the derby, only to see his precious lime green chocobo slip to sixth place before finally finishing last.

The pub was packed so it was a while before their food came, but when it arrived, it was in huge portions and piping hot.

“Oh, goody-goody-goody!” Prompto sang, rubbing his hands together when he saw how large his side of fries was. “Yummy in my tummy!”

“Now this is what I call a steak!” Gladio grinned, eyeing his meal hungrily.

Noct watched Ignis remove the bun from his own burger then look around for a bottle of ketchup. “Oh! There it is… Gladio, would you mind passing me that ketchup bottle? It’s at your elbow—no, on Prompto’s side.” The prince seized the golden opportunity to remove the bun from his own burger, pluck off the offending lettuce and tomato, and place them inside Ignis’s burger.

But he wasn’t very sneaky about it, and he hadn’t quite finished by the time Ignis was aiming the open ketchup bottle at his sandwich. Noct didn’t care; he just replaced the bun on his burger and lifted it to his mouth without another glance. And Ignis didn’t say a word to him about it.

After dinner, the four men strolled out of the pub in far better spirits and much improved tempers. Prompto gushed about the races in spite of the green chocobo’s disappointing loss while Ignis praised the local cuisine. Gladio trailed behind the others while he enjoyed a quiet cigarette and Noctis secretly made plans for escaping to go partying later that night.

Gladio checked the time on his phone. “It’s only nine o’clock,” he announced. “I think I’ll just say goodnight here then hit up another bar.”

“If you’re certain…” Ignis seemed hesitant to split the group, but he knew it was really none of his business what Gladio did in his spare time—so long as he reported for duty in the morning.

“Yeah. I’ll meet up with you guys tomorrow for our continental breakfast.” Gladio tucked his phone into his back pocket again.

“All right, then,” Ignis said agreeably. “We’ll head back to the Leville and get to bed early.”

“Hey!” Prompto argued, “I want to see the street performers. And I might still want a balloon!”

“You’ll see plenty of performers—and better ones—at His Highness’s wedding,” Ignis soothed.

“How come Gladio gets to stay out?” Prompto pouted. “Maybe I wanna go to the bar, too!” He appealed to the prince’s heavily-tattooed bodyguard. “Can I go with? Please?”

“Heh.” Gladio tossed his cigarette butt to the ground. “Where I’m going, kids ain’t allowed.”

“Aw, come on! I’m not a kid, Gladio! Please? Pretty-please?”

Gladio shook his head. “You probably ain’t ever seen a real—”

“Ah-ah! That’s enough,” Ignis quickly interrupted. “We’ll go back to our hotel suite, and perhaps the prince would like to play a video game with you before bed. Yes, Noct?”

Noct could not even believe this conversation. “Fine,” he agreed, throwing his arms up in the air. “Whatever.” He started walking toward the hotel.

“Sweet! King’s Knight!” Prompto skipped after him.

Ignis watched the boys for a moment, then bade Gladio goodnight. He didn’t feel it necessary to warn him about staying out too late or drinking too much, but he thought he might soon ask him to tone down the condescension a bit, because it was clear it was having an effect on Noct. The last thing the prince needed to be was sour and spiteful on his wedding day.

He walked briskly until he caught up with Prompto and Noctis, noticing the way the freckled blond kept prattling excitedly and how the prince barely even paid him any mind. Just what was going through his brooding, royal head?

Back in their hotel room, Prompto could tell Noct wasn’t really into King’s Knight and let him off the hook after just fifteen minutes. Once they’d returned, Ignis had relented and said they didn’t have to go right to sleep, so they turned on the TV to see if anything good was on. Prompto wanted to watch cartoons, but after just one segment of Adult Swim Noctis stole the remote and changed the channel to a nature documentary about the mating rituals of spiracorns.

“Urgh!” Prompto whined when Ignis said it was the prince’s turn to choose a program. “But this is booooriiiing!”

“So? Go to sleep, then,” Noctis told him.

Ignis cocked an eyebrow.

“I don’t have a choice,” Prompto muttered on his way to the bathroom to change and brush his teeth. “If I have to listen to this for five more minutes, I’ll pass out!”

Ignis likewise thought the show an unusual choice for the prince. But Noct sat attentively in a chair positioned right in front of the television, hardly blinking, even after Prompto had climbed into bed and fallen asleep. Ignis was growing understandably suspicious, but he couldn’t argue against letting the younger man expand his mind, even if the hour was growing late. Perhaps he was using the program as some sort of vengeance, but it wasn’t as though he were out with Gladio, spending money on…less wholesome activities. So Ignis permitted this one indulgence. Eventually he, too, turned in for the night, leaving the prince to view the documentary by himself with the volume down low.

Noct sat in front of the TV for more than an hour before he was satisfied that Ignis was asleep. He left the television on as he rose from his lounge chair and quietly tip-toed over to his bed, carrying a pair of decorative pillows from the sofa with him. He turned down the blankets and stuffed the pillows between the sheets before covering them back up. It might not fool anyone looking closely, but he was satisfied that at a passing glance it would appear as though he were the one bundled up under the blankets.

With that, Prince Noctis pulled on baseball cap to help mask his identity and then quietly left the room, gently closing the door behind him. He had cash and a spare room key in his wallet, so he figured he was good to go. If he beat Gladio back to the room, great. If not, the other man would probably be too drunk to notice anything amiss.

It was only a few blocks’ walk to the tunnel, and Noct figured it would be near enough to midnight by that point that he’d be just in time for the party. Along the way, he remembered that one of the kids he’d talked to at the pub arcade had told him the party was a B.Y.O.B. Fortunately there was an open convenience store along the way—one that sold mostly junky souvenirs to tourists, but that also carried cold drinks and cigarettes. He figured those would pay his cover charge to the rave.

Noct put on a mean face when he got up to the counter—thinking about Gladio helped do the trick—and hoped he looked the right age. He was 20, just a year shy of legal age to make the kinds of purchases he was about to attempt, but if he was asked to provide his ID he’d be in for it. Nobody would believe that Prince Noctis of Insomnia was trying to illegally buy contraband, all alone in a strange city with no guardians. And his dad would probably kill him if he got arrested.

Noct browsed around a little, partly to kill time. It was tempting to pick up a few snacks, but he decided against it; for one, Ignis wouldn’t like him spoiling his appetite with cookies and chips, and secondly, he didn’t have all that much spending money on hand. So finally he chose a beverage and carried a case up to the register, then pointed to the cigarettes behind the counter.

While the cashier grabbed a pack of Marlboros for him, the prince noticed a rack of photo albums. They were thin, meant to hold about twenty postcards or vacation photographs, but one of them was bright yellow and had a flock of colorful chocobos on the front cover. Noct warred with himself for a minute before adding it to the pile. Prompto had better love the thing, cause Noct had a feeling it was about to get him into trouble.

The middle-aged man waiting to ring up his purchases suddenly braced his hands on the counter and leaned forward with mistrust evident in his eyes. “You aren’t looking to get yourself into trouble tonight, are you, son?” he asked warily.

Noct steeled his jaw and swallowed back the kind of retort his tongue was used to giving—the kind that would have been fine to use on Gladio, but not necessarily on a suspicious shopkeep. “Just heading back to my hotel room to relax,” he replied, raising a hand to his hip casually.

“Mhm. And this?” The clerk held up the photo album.

Noctis shrugged and said, as coolly as he could manage, “It’s for the kids.”

The man sighed and frowned. “Right,” was all he said, though, and rang everything up. “That’ll be three-hundred and fifty gil.”

Noctis paid the man, trying not to sigh out loud with relief. He accepted his receipt and dropped it into the bag. “Thanks.”

“Don’t do anything stupid,” was the response he received.

Stupid? Noct thought, exiting out onto the street. Was it stupid for the Crown Prince of Lucis to sneak out of his hotel room without telling anyone and without an escort to go to a midnight rave out in the open, where daemons—or worse: the paparazzi—could attack?

Maybe so, but by the end of the week he’d be married, a pawn of the Empire. He figured he owed it to himself to live a little while he had the chance.

Noctis could hear the pounding rhythm of techno music echoing from the bridge from a block away. He could see the lights, too, though he wasn’t quite so confident as the raving teens that neon pink, green, orange, and blue glow sticks would keep the daemons at bay. But maybe the strobes would do it, he reconsidered as he stepped through the tunnel entrance and into the party.

The music was earsplitting; if anyone was talking and laughing now, he couldn’t hear them. The beat was pounding so hard it felt like it was thumping in his chest, and Noct found he couldn’t help but walk to its pulse as if in some hypnotic trance. He’d never seen so many young people in one place at one time before. Locals and vacationers mixed to make up the throng, packing the tunnel wall-to-wall. The prince wove his way through the crowd, looking for some place to set his beer case down. Finally he found the apparent Central Station, where a DJ booth had been turned into a bar by surrounding mismatched tables. At least a couple people were trying to tend bar, more or less pouring whatever they found in bottles into plastic cups, hoping to earn some tips. Noct reached into his bag and removed the photo album, tucking it into his jacket. He set the beer case down next to some other drinks and turned the bag upside down so the three cigarette cartons he’d picked up dumped out, too. The DJ, sporting spiky blue hair and sunglasses, gave him a thumb’s up. Noct waved, the wadded up the plastic bag, and tossed it into a dumpster before snatching a bottle of water off the table and making his way toward the edge of a dancing mass.

Noct bobbed his head to the music as he watched the dancers, considering approaching someone. At least if they turned him down he wouldn’t be able to hear any harsh rejections, he thought.

That was when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Noct turned, his eyes widening when he saw Ignis standing directly behind him. If the heavy bass hadn’t been in total control of his pulse, his heart would have skipped a beat.

“Are you having a good time?” was the first thing out of Ignis’s mouth.

The question caught Noct off guard. “What are you doing here?” the prince asked, less irritated than he would have thought to discover he’d been followed.

“Oh, the same as you, I expect,” Ignis answered nonchalantly, adopting a casual stance.

Noct was skeptical. “Oh, yeah? Well, I came here to dance.”

“So what are you waiting for?” Ignis challenged. Before Noct could shoot his mouth off, the older man said, “Come along, then,” and grabbed hold of the prince’s wrist.

“Wait—what?” Noct stammered as Ignis pulled him into the mob of dancers.

Ignis spun around to face the prince, looking as confident and composed in a rave full of teenagers as he did in the king’s audience chamber at the Citadel back in Insomnia. “Dance with me, Noct!” he shouted to be heard over the music, already beginning to move.

“Are you serious?”

“Isn’t this what you came here for?” Ignis reminded him, shimmying his shoulders as his hips got in on the action.

“Not…exactly.” Noct was sure he was flushed from more than the tightly-packed body heat trapped inside the tunnel.

“Come on!” Ignis encouraged. “You’ll look foolish if you’re the only one standing there. Don’t you want to blend in?” he taunted, tugging the bill of Noct’s hat down over his eyes.

Noct squinted as his bangs covered his line of vision. He lifted the bill of his cap, only to see Ignis waving his arms in the air, his feet stomping to the beat as he moved closer.

He no longer had any choice; the rhythm was resounding throughout his body. And with everyone around him jumping and writhing—even Ignis getting down—his limbs started moving of their own accord.

“That’s it!” Ignis cried, his body rocking to the beat.

Noct grinned as he watched Ignis move as freely while dancing as he did when slicing through their enemies on the field of combat. “Who knew you were fun?” he mused in wonder.

“You’ve yet to see what I’m capable of,” Ignis responded with a sly look in his eyes. Suddenly he was unbuttoning his dress shirt, revealing a peek of the smooth chest beneath it. He slipped his glasses off his face and tucked them into the V at his neck, then rolled up his sleeves, revealing the glowing neon bracelets strapped around his wrists.

“No freaking way,” Noctis laughed. “I do not even know you.”

Ignis danced into him, bumping his chest so hard with his shoulder that Noctis dropped his water bottle and had to reach out and grab hold of him to keep from stumbling backwards into someone else. Ignis took hold of his hips, steadying him. The beat of the music had slowed and deepened. One of the taller man’s legs was pressed between Noct’s, and he was dancing close.

Noct looked up, holding onto Ignis’s shoulders tightly as their eyes met—the prince’s wide and curious, Ignis’s fiery and bold.

“I know why you came here tonight,” Ignis said, bending his head so he could speak directly into the prince’s ear and be heard by him alone. “Why you really came here.”

Noct’s arms wound around Ignis’s neck in an effort to keep himself upright, because the other man was leaning into him so hard he was forced to either hold on or fall over. His throat went dry and he lamented having lost his grip on his drink. There was no pretending he hadn’t heard what Ignis had said, so the prince tried to make light of the situation. “You caught me,” he confessed, “I’m just here to piss Gladio off.”

The corner of Ignis’s mouth turned up in a disbelieving smile. He shook his head, his dark emerald eyes burning into Noct’s cloudy blue. “I know you, Noctis. I understand the heavy burdens you’ve felt weighing you down: the pressure from Gladio to train harder, to become stronger; the responsibility you feel toward others, particularly in regards to taking care of your friends; the royal demands His Majesty has hoisted upon your young shoulders…such as this wedding.”

Noct’s mouth was dry as a desert. Ignis was still dancing so close. Too close.

He knew too much. Noct had never told anyone—especially not Ignis—how he really felt about his political betrothal to the foreign princess. Now Ignis was reminding him why the discussion had never been necessary; they’d known each other for a long time, and some thoughts and feelings could be shared between them without ever speaking a word.

“You’ve been yearning for freedom,” Ignis continued, “but that’s being snatched away from you before you even have the chance experience it. You came here tonight because you’re craving release, like a wild animal caught in a trap.”

“You’re the one who’s acting like a wild animal,” Noctis panted breathlessly. At first he wasn’t sure Ignis had heard him; the music was so loud he couldn’t hear himself.

But Ignis had. “Perhaps we’re both seeking release,” he said in Noct’s ear again, his voice so deep and husky the boy shivered in spite of the warmth of the body pressed tightly to his. Then Ignis drew back, staring the prince down. “Well?” he prompted for a response. “Am I wrong?”

Noct stared right back up at him. How did Ignis know? How did he always know?

Slowly, the prince shook his head.

Ignis did not seem surprised by his silent admission. “Then, Highness,” he said, leaning down until they were nose to nose, “allow me to set you free.”

The prince gasped and held his breath. For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly thought Ignis might kiss him. But instead the taller man pulled out of his arms and stepped away. Noct let his breath out in a shaky sigh. Ignis smiled and caught hold of his hand, leading him towards the bar.

“…Are you going to let me drink?” the prince asked in surprise as he watched Ignis flag down the impromptu bartender.

“Let you?” Ignis scoffed. “Did I say you could attend a party in the first place?”

“No.”

“Did I grant you permission to be out at all hours?”

“…No.”

“Well, then, I suppose it’s not up to me to decide whether or not you’re going to have a drink,” Ignis said with a shrug, “but I certainly am.” To the kid tending bar he said, “One cosmopolitan, please.”

The boy looked at him blankly.

Ignis sighed heavily and muttered, “I forgot we aren’t in a proper club.”

Noct gave him a look. “When have you ever been in a ‘proper club’?”

“Never mind, Noct. Er, I’ll have some of that,” Ignis said instead, accepting a substitute drink. He leaned an elbow on the counter while the kid poured. “It’ll be a bit strong, but a little won’t hurt. One drink tonight and I can still drive in the morning.”

“I’ll have one, too,” Noct called, aware of Ignis’s eyes on him and feeling both self-conscious and grown-up. Ignis didn’t berate him, though, and he felt almost as proud as he was nervous as they each accepted a plastic cup half-filled with a clear liquid. He sniffed his cup, trying to imagine what it was going to taste like.

Ignis raised his drink and touched the rim of his cup to Noct’s. “Cheers!” He threw his head back and downed the fiery liquid in a single swallow. “No, no—don’t sip,” he gently corrected the prince. “Trust me, you don’t want that taste lingering in your mouth. Just toss it back—there you go.”

Noct choked as his throat burned.

“One more to wash it down with,” Ignis decided, beckoning to one of the boys behind the bar again.

The prince’s eyes were wide as Ignis accepted two more clear plastic cups and offered him one. He waved Ignis’s hand away. “Nah, I’m good.” He coughed.

“Noct!” Ignis seemed put out. “Are you a peasant or a prince? Have another shot.”

“Are you serious?”

Ignis pushed the cup into his hand and looked at him sternly. “Would you accept if it were Gladio challenging you?” he asked.

Noctis frowned. He would. They both knew he would.

He took the cup from Ignis and this time drank without choking on it.

Ignis followed suit, then slammed his cup down on the counter. “One more for the road.”

Noct licked his lips then wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “Ignis, are you trying to get me drunk?”

“Whatever for?”

“I dunno…” Noct shrugged. “To teach me a lesson or something?”

“A man’s first drink shouldn’t be on his wedding day,” Ignis said decisively. “You should know your limits. And your preferences.” He gestured for the boy behind the bar again, this time pointing to various ingredients and instructing him in making a proper cocktail.

Noct grinned. He kind of liked it when Ignis was all take-charge and bossy. “You want to get back there?” he kidded.

“Not for what they’re paying,” Ignis muttered. He corrected the teenager on the other side of the counter another time or two, but finally they each had a plastic cup in hand. Ignis’s drink was red and smelled strongly of cherries; Noct’s was faintly yellow. Ignis draped an arm around his shoulders and steered him away from the crowded DJ booth and bar, leading him in no particular direction.

“What is it?” Noct asked, holding his drink up dubiously. “Looks like piss.”

“It may taste like it, too,” Ignis warned. “Whiskey sour. Or,” he corrected, “a reasonable facsimile thereof.” Noct started to raise the cup to his lips when Ignis added, “Don’t chug that.”

Noctis assumed that meant it was safe to sip this time and drank a mouthful slowly. It was pretty gross. But Ignis seemed to be enjoying his own cup, taking slow sips and nodding his head in appreciation, so he pretended to like it.

“Would you care to dance some more?” Ignis asked.

Noct shook his head. “Not really. I like this better.” His face felt hot again as he realized all he was doing was strolling through the tunnel with Ignis’s arm around his neck.

But then Ignis said, “So do I.”

To be honest, Noct was pretty much finished with the party. He didn’t know anyone here besides Ignis—which was a plus in his book, but it meant there wasn’t really anything to do other than to dance or drink. This excursion had been more about rebellion and—as Ignis had guessed—freedom. He’d just wanted to make a decision on his own for a change and act on it.

But he wasn’t ready yet to call it a night. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent time alone with Ignis. When they were kids, Ignis had been his sole companion, but they’d drifted apart in high school. Ignis had been prepping for college, since he was two years older than the prince, and Noct was coming to realize how attractive his looks and royal title were to the opposite sex. They had just grown too busy to go star-gazing like they used to.

“What are you thinking about, Highness?”

Noct turned his head to look up at Ignis. The taller man was gazing at him with eyes that sparkled with mischief. “You,” he answered, hoping to shock Ignis. Ignis’s ash blond brows shot up with surprise and he couldn’t hold back a laugh. “You used to be such a square. I can’t believe you brought me to my first party.”

“I didn’t bring you here,” Ignis reminded him.

“Yeah, I know…” Noct shrugged. “But we’re here together now.” He realized with dull surprise his tongue suddenly felt thick. Had he just slurred his words together?

They passed by a barrel being used for waste and tossed their empty cups away. Now that his hand was free, Noct wasn’t sure what to do with it. Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, he finally slipped his arm around Ignis’s waist.

They were walking along the fringes of the party. It seemed the teenagers of Lestallum were unwilling to round the corner of the bridge and venture into the darkness beyond for fear of daemons. The music was still loud on the far side of the rave, but the flashing lights were dimmer and the crowd had thinned out. Ignis took advantage of the privacy to pull Noct around the side of a concrete column. He wrapped both arms around the prince’s shoulders and leaned in close, breathing in his scent as he pressed him gently against the stone wall.

Noct’s arms wound around Ignis’s waist in a warm but unsure embrace. Had it been his imagination, or had Ignis kissed his head? What were they doing right now?

It felt like an eternity passed as they stood there. Noct’s heartbeat alternated between racing anxiously and beating in a comfortable, steady rhythm. Ignis felt like home to Noct, but he’d never held him like this before. When he realized he could feel Ignis’s heart beating against his own chest, he tried to slow his breaths to control his pulse. He didn’t want to give anything away. But what was there to reveal, exactly?

Ignis hugged him a little tighter and began to sway. Noct felt dizzy. He laughed without meaning to. He just felt like he was on a rollercoaster at an amusement park. He was enjoying himself.

“What?” Ignis asked. Noct could hear the smile in his voice. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Noct said, laughing again. “I just don’t know what we’re doing right now.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I—” Noct’s heart went back to hammering. “I don’t know.”

“Don’t you?” Ignis nuzzled the bill of his ball cap with an angular cheekbone, lifting it so he could look into Noct’s eyes. “Tonight, you’re free. You can do anything you wish.”

“Is that true?” Noct stared up at Ignis. “Is that even possible?”

“There’s no one here but us,” Ignis said, silently promising to keep all Noct’s secrets.

“Well… What about you?” Noctis pressed, his fingers digging into the taller man’s back. “Are you free to do what you want?”

“No, Noct,” Ignis said, his voice deep and breathy. “You are my prince; I am but your humble servant. I will do whatever you wish.”

Noctis found his breaths growing labored. All at once he did know what he wanted to do, but he couldn’t be sure it was what Ignis wanted. He only needed to determine whether or not that mattered.

The fingers gently stroking the back of his neck helped him decide. Ignis had never looked so attractive before, with his collar undone and his sleeves rolled up and his glasses resting against his chest. Noct angled his chin slightly as he tilted his head back, his lips pursed. He was nervous and a little afraid, but he would never in his life have another chance like this.

But he didn’t dare. What he was feeling was something he knew was forbidden, maybe even unwelcome. The alcohol hadn’t made him that brave. All he managed to do was softly whimper. “Ignis,” he breathed, clutching the other more tightly.

He did not have to speak the words. Ignis knew what he wanted. He had always known him best. He had taken care of Noct all their lives, whether the prince had been picked on by the bigger kids at recess or sick with a cold, or hurt by someone’s unkind words. And like all those times before, Ignis knew just how to soothe the pain he was feeling without his ever needing to ask or explain himself.

The older man leaned down to capture Noct’s lips with his own in a kiss that relieved his fears and shattered his expectations. It was not a gentle kiss, but Ignis’s lips were immeasurably soft under their passionate pressure.

Noct’s eyes widened with shock as he watched his best friend kiss him. Ignis’s eyes were closed and his brows were furrowed in an expression of concentration. He’d never seen him look so intense before. And the way he was holding him now was exciting, one arm cradling him and the other wrapped tightly around his waist.

He had never been kissed before. There was no one he had ever wanted to kiss. He hadn’t even been sure he’d wanted to kiss Ignis until this moment, but he was certain now.

The pressure of Ignis’s mouth against his slowly waxed and waned, like a boat rocking on the ocean. Noct felt dizzy and his knees grew weak. In the split second before he passed out, the prince realized he’d been holding his breath the whole time Ignis was kissing and caressing him. He fainted with an amused smile on his lips, then everything went dark before he even heard Ignis call his name.

It was dark, but the boat never stopped rocking. Noct became gradually aware he was on his back. He could feel a gentle weight above him. It slowly dawned on him that the weight was Ignis. They were the source of the motions that caused his dizziness, but what they were doing felt so good he didn’t want to stop. The disorientation of it just made him feel carefree and light. The pleasured sound he made was partly a laugh, partly a moan.

Then he heard the sound of a door slamming and suddenly a bright light blinded him.

“What the hell are you doing?” someone demanded.

Noct’s eyes flew open. His hand was down the front of his pants and Gladio was standing five feet away in the foyer of their hotel suite.

The prince scrambled into a sitting position from where he’d been reclining on the couch. Luckily there was a blanket covering his body so Gladio hadn’t, he hoped, seen him in a completely compromising position. He felt sweat prickling along his forehead but thanks to Gladio his hard-on was quickly softening.

“What are you still doing awake?” Gladio wanted to know.

Noct wondered the same thing. He was lying on the couch by himself in front of the TV. And on the screen was a nature channel documentary about the rare and elusive rainbow frogs.

Had he fallen asleep watching this crap and never made it to the rave? Had he never danced with Ignis? Never had his first real drink? His first— Had everything been a dream?

��Get your ass to bed, kid,” Gladio grumbled, peeling off his jacket. He reeked of booze and cigarette smoke and something worse.

He didn’t need to tell Noct twice. The prince scrambled off the couch, nearly tripping as he kicked the blanket free of his legs. He didn’t remember having that… His best guess was that he had fallen asleep watching the show about spiracorns and Ignis had left him on the couch to sleep, dutifully covering him up to keep him from getting chilled. That was the only explanation; the decorative pillows he could have sworn he’d hidden in his bed were still on the sofa where he’d imagined finding them earlier.

Noctis sighed and hauled himself into bed. So it had all just been a crazy dream… It figured. Of course, it hadn’t been his idea to get engaged to a princess he’d met one time when he was just eight years old. But he’d gone along with the arrangement because he was the prince. It was what he was supposed to do.

But his dream had granted him a vision of what life might be like if he had a choice. It had shown him what he had been afraid to admit to himself he wanted. And now he had no idea how he was going to get Ignis out of his head.

The next morning, true to threat, Gladio had the guys roused by the crack of dawn. Noct and Prompto, the youngest but least morning-inclined of the group, stumbled all over each other trying to shower, brush their teeth, and pack up their belongings. They loaded up the car while Ignis made a quick trip to the market as he’d wanted, then had a rushed breakfast at a local diner before finally piling into the Regalia.

Before they got well and truly underway, Ignis pulled up to a pump at the Lestallum gas station to fill the tank. The sound of the driver’s side door slamming after he climbed out made Noct’s ears ring.

Noctis had never experienced a hangover before, and if last night had really been a dream then he couldn’t be having one now, but he did have a splitting headache and the morning sunlight was making it a million times worse. He pulled the bill of his hat down low over his eyes and closed them, intending to catch a few Zs in the back seat. But before he could doze off next to Gladio, who was reading over the morning paper, Prompto leaned toward him from the front passenger seat and tapped his leg.

“What?” Noct grumbled.

“Can I see your CDs?” Prompto asked hopefully.

“Sure,” Noct answered through gritted teeth.

Prompto could tell Noct was in a bad mood, but he couldn’t reach the prince’s backpack. “Do you mind handing them to me?” he asked timidly.

With a heavy sigh, Noct opened his eyes and leaned forward so he could pick up the backpack he had half-crammed under the driver’s seat in front of him. He didn’t bother digging around for the CDs, but shoved the entire bag at Prompto before flopping back into his seat, pulling the bill of his hat down low again.

“Thanks, buddy!”

Noctis cringed as he listened to the backpack being unzipped. It was like the sound of glass smashing in his ears. He groaned painfully and squeezed his head. “Prompto!” he snapped as the blond rummaged through his bag.

“What? Oh—hey! Where did you get this?!”

Noct didn’t care what Prompto was looking at and he didn’t care to answer, but he did find himself growing curious at the excitement in the younger boy’s voice. Finally he took off his hat and leaned forward again to see what the fuss was all about. “What is it?” he asked, squinting his dark-rimmed eyes.

Prompto was holding a thin yellow photo album.

“Dude!” he wailed, heedless of Noct’s migraine, “I can’t believe you got one of these and didn’t show them to me! You know how much I love chocobos.”

Noct stared in confusion at the item in Prompto’s hands. That was the photo album he’d bought for Prompto last night, when he made a beer run for the party. But hadn’t he dreamed all that? He’d never left the couch.

“That’s a dick move,” Gladio commented, turning the page of the paper with a rustle that might just as well have been a hurricane.

Noctis winced. “Actually, I bought that for Prompto,” he snapped back at the older man.

“Really?” Prompto was grinning at him with shining eyes. “Dude! You’re the best!”

Ignis returned from paying for their gas and climbed into the car, reaching for his seatbelt.

“Ignis, look what Noct got for me!” Prompto chirped excitedly.

“Yes, I see that, Prompto. Oh, Noct?” Ignis turned around in his seat and handed Noctis a can of frozen juice and a small bottle of Excedrin.

“What’s this for?”

“Your migraine.”

Noct accepted the cold drink and the pills. “How did you—?” he started to ask, then caught Ignis’s knowing look in the rearview mirror. He shut up and opened both the can and the bottle gratefully.

Ignis turned the key in the ignition to start up the Regalia, checked for traffic, and then pulled out of the gas station parking lot and got them on the highway.

It was then Noct noticed something peeking out from beneath the sleeve at his wrist as his hand took a steady hold of the steering wheel: a neon bracelet.

#ignoctweek #ignoct week #ignoct #ffxv fanfiction

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becauseiamnotanelephant · 7 years ago

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A little night music

Tonight I had date (as did many other people) to listen to the Philharmonic play in Prospect Park. it was cold but humid, a terrible clammy combination, but with the right clothes, it was better than rain or intense heat. They played three pieces - Dvorak 9th Symphony, which we played part of in orchestra, and which I am more familiar with than I would have guessed. They started out by having a signer singing along with the Largo movement (?) - adding fake lyrics to a famous classical piece is pretty bleh. But then they played the whole piece with just the orchestra, which was nice.

This was followed by the orchestral pieces from West Side Story. Which is really all I needed for this night to be amazing. I thought there would be more people yelling “Mambo!” or snapping their fingers at the right moments from Maria and Tony’s first dance. Alas, it seems it was only me. i wonder if people just don’t know it as well, but that surprises me because at the movie sing-a-long a few years ago, it didn’t seem to be the case.

They closed the night with the orchestral pieces from An American in Paris, which was less thrilling for me, but had some good trumpet “twangs” which I know 100 percent is not what they were doing, but that’swhat it sounded like.

The evening closed with a lot of fireworks, which received a huge reaction from the crowd. I wonder if the musicians are ever upset that some things exploding in the sky are more impressive than their talents.

I also had an amazing NY moment today. I was biking back from a meeting and down Ninth Avenue, there was a couple riding Citi Bikes, holding hands. Ninth Avenue near 45th Street is probably one of the least romantic places in the city, particularly in the poorly paved bike lane, but it was cute.

I pull up next to, but slightly behind the couple, at a red light, when another guy pulls up next to me on his bike. He looks at me, sticks out his hand, and says, “what about us”? I cracked up. He takes my hand, then tries to grab the hand of the Chinese delivery guy on his other side, and then yells out to the original couple to check out that we’re all holding hands. It was a memorable moment.

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artificialqueens · 8 years ago

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Cherry Bomb (Katlaska)- Squeaky

Brian and Justin go from professional drag queens to wing men. It gets out of control.

It had started like all of Brian’s best ideas did- after a bottle of beers, two shots, and three swigs of whiskey.

“I’m tired.”

“How can you be tired when you haven’t done anything all day?” Justin said with that smirk. That smirk. The one that made Brian want to punch him in the face.

“No, I’m…tired of this- this thing,” Brian slurred and moved his hands out to gesture at everything and nothing.

“Hm?” Justin murmured as he turned to check his phone.

Brian childishly swiped the phone away: “Pay attention to me, Jus’n.”

“Okay, you fucking pain in my anus. I’m listening,” Justin sighed and leaned down to rest his head on his hands, “What exactly are you tired of?”

Brian leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “The game.”

“Drag Race?”

“No, dumb-ass. I’ll never get tired of Drag Race. I’m tired of the whole pretentious-ass game of picking up trade, pretending to be sexy and normal to get men to put their dick in me. Like having a cock wedged up my anal cavity is some kind of treat.”

Justin rolled his eyes, “Is that what this is all about? Just because you haven’t gotten laid in a month doesn’t mean that you need to take it out on me.”

“Got laid last week.”

“With who? That blonde midget?”

“He gave good head.”

“Honestly, the less time that I spend thinking about your libido, Brian, the happier I’ll be.”

“Don’t roll your eyes- I’m fucking serious. Dead. Fucking. Serious. The chase of the game and the mediocre-ness and the mess and the morning after? It’s not worth it to me. I feel like I’ve over-sex-saturated my senses and now it’s just all, like, whatever. A bleh blob.”

“Did Brian Mccook just tell me that sex wasn’t worth it? Maybe you’ve had a little too much to drink for tonight.”

“Think about it though…all this dick chasing has gone stale. The dicks are bread, and I’m done collecting salty crumbs,” Brian said and dramatically tipped back his bottle to lick out the last drop. Justin grabbed the bottle from him and helped him get his ass into an Uber. Brian sent him off with a sloppy kiss on the cheek and urged him to “think about it.”

——————-

That should have been the end of it. Just a drunken ramble born from his usual inebriation and gone by the morning light. Brian didn’t think about it until he rolled out of bed and his phone rang.

“‘Ello?”

“You know. I was up all night, and I think…I think you were on to something!”

“Huh?” Brian blinked and held the phone away from his ringing ears. All he could remember from last night was downing shots and Justin rolling his eyes. Oh, and that insufferable smirk. Everything else was a pleasant blur.

“I think that the game has gotten stale. It’s all the same build up with an inevitable let down.”

“Uh huh,” Brian yawned as he went to brush his teeth. His mouth tasted like how goat sex looked. Bad.

“So why don’t we spice it up? Put a twist on the game?”

“Russian roulette?”

“Kinda. I have to find you the perfect guy, and you have to find me the perfect guy. Deal? First one to find the other a boyfriend wins.”

Brian laughed with a mouth full of toothpaste: “‘Ow tha’s fooking genius!”

“Loser has to suck the winner’s dick?”

He spit and wiped his mouth. “I like the way your twisted mind works. Let’s do it tonight.”

——–

Brian ran a hand over his bare chest, as Justin flipped through his shirts. They’d decided to dress each other up. Brian had quickly picked out a pink button down for Justin with a pair of slacks. Yet, here Brian was, still languishing away on his apartment bed. He looped his fingers and tugged at his jeans-

“If you wanted to lose this bet and just suck me off, Lasky, all you had to do was ask.”

“I’m working on winning it, but your boy wardrobe leaves a lot to be desired,” Justin snapped as he threw a Hawaiian mumu at his face. Brian pretended to strangle himself in it.

Finally, Justin pulled out a black shirt that read simply ‘Carpe Diem,’ which he didn’t remember owning. Brian pulled it on and wrinkled his face at how tight it was. When he raised his hands, the black material rode up to reveal his white stomach.

“Doesn’t fit.”

Justin smoothed down his shirt, fingers lingering: “Fits perfectly.”

Brian’s stomach twisted a little as he looked down at Justin’s fingertips and how they looked splayed across him. He was already getting horny, for some reason, and they hadn’t even left for the club. This low simmering state of semi arousal made it hard to concentrate. In the cab, Justin pressed up close, and Brian leaned in even closer, so he was practically plastered to the older boy’s side. Brian was happy to glance down and see that Justin was just as flustered as him.

“See something you like, Lasky?” Brian teased as he leaned in, slight stubble brushing against Justin’s soft shoulder.

“We’re not even there yet. How can I see anything but your annoying ass?”

Brian only giggled as he playfully reached down and pressed the heel of his hand to Justin’s crotch: “Seem flustered.”

Justin groaned and roughly pushed him towards the other side of the cab. It quickly turned into a tickle fight in the back seat that left Brian more excited than he’d started. The cab driver watched them through the mirror as Brian straddled Justin and tried to pin down his hands. The cab jumped, and Justin pushed him off.

Justin’s hair was sticking to his forehead, and Brian snickered as they stumbled out the cab, side by side, and flicked his fringe. The humid LA night made him glad for his own buzz cut.

“You look pretty gay.”

Justin rolled his eyes: “No, really? Did the fact that we’re walking into a gay bar give it away? Or maybe how hard we got from our hetero-no-homo tickle fight.”

“I’m a growing boy,” Brian teased. “I get hard from anything. What’s your excuse?”

“Mhm.”

“But it’s true, Lasky,” he continued over the beat of the club music as they wove their way through the crowd. It must have been Hawaiian night because Brian had already spotted ten guys dressed like Maui and one like Lilo.

“How about Mr. Tan-line in the corner? He give you anything to get hard over?”

Brian ordered a cocktail, and, not looking away from Justin’s insufferable smirk, slowly nodded. He should be paying attention to the dance floor, but Justin’s hair was distracting. Brian reached up to push back his fringe and Justin let him, leaning ever so slightly into his touch.

It was like a back and forth game of ping pong as they sent each other to different corners. Each guy that Justin picked up for him was even better than the last. They all had soft eyes and easy smiles, but Brian found himself making excuse after excuse to get back to Justin. They were all too tall, too small, too thin, too thick…too much…but also not enough.

“You’re being picky,” Justin huffed as he slung his hand over Brian’s shoulder. He leaned into his side and just shrugged. The fringe had flopped back, and Brian reached up to push it back into place. Justin slapped his fingers away with a rough order of ‘concentrate.’

“Hey! Maybe I’m just holding out for Prince Charming. Need me a man like that to come sweep me off my feet. Someone with a sense of humor…soft…but a bit of a freak.”

“Sounds like you wanna fuck yourself,” Justin teased as he looped his hands around Brian’s chest and tugged him closer. They were weirdly spooning now. Actually, was it considered spooning if you weren’t lying down? Whatever, they were doing some gay ass shit that Brian didn’t know how to explain. All he knew was that he didn’t have eyes for anybody on the dance floor.

Justin squeezed him: “How come I haven’t seen you trying all night? Given up already I see. Seems like you’re pretty desperate to get on your knees for me- hoping to pleasure your reigning queen?”

“Nah, I just know someone perfect for you,” Brian said as he twisted around, so his chin was resting on Justin’s chest. He looked up at him through his thick rimmed glasses.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, she’s got long, blonde hair…always keeps ‘em coming back for more…kind of a high class, Russian whore-”

“Bitch!”

He leaned up on his tippy toes, so his lips were right by Justin’s ear: “I hear she’s a scorching hot mess in a skin tight dress.”

Justin’s hands settled on the curve of his back, right above where his shirt rode up. Brian leaned in, so the hard line of their chests were pressed up together. He could feel the heat of Justin’s breathe curl around his neck. Goosebumps.

“Sounds like my type. Does she put out?”

“For the right price,” Brian promised, switching his voice so it was huskier. He realized to the untrained eye right now they must look like a couple. To the trained eye….no, they probably still looked like a couple of married fags, Brian realized.

“How much you think it’d cost to buy her mouth?” Justin murmured, and his voice had gone from teasing to something else. Those large hands settled over his ass, and Brian whimpered a little as they squeezed him through the denim of his jeans.

“10,000 dollars…”

“Via paypal?”

“No, I prefer cash. Or credit.”

Brian gasped as he felt Justin’s leg pressed up in between his own. He was painfully hard now, and, whatever game this was, he needed to keep on playing. Brian experimentally ran his hand through Justin’s hair and dragged him down by the roots for a peck. He waited for some shocking revelation, but it was just a kiss. Maybe he should try again? So Brian pressed in closer and tasted the vodka still on his lips. He felt Justin’s cock twitch against his thigh as he took control of the kiss.

Brian let go for a breathe of air, and he was pleased to see that Justin’s eyes were just as dark as his, pupils overblown with desire. Fuck, Brian bit his lip, he wanted to taste him.

“But I haven’t found you Prince Charming,” Justin weakly protested as Brian tugged him towards the bathroom stall by his wrist.

“You win. I lose,” Brian said as he pushed Justin into the bathroom stall. Click. Justin pulled him in by the scruff of his black shirt and kissed him. Fuck, Brian wouldn’t mind just slowly rutting off against his leg, like a horny animal.

“Oh, that’s new, huh?” Justin taunted. “You losing to me?”

Brian roughly squeezed Justin through his denim jeans. He was so firm. God, the feel of him in his hands made his mouth water.

“Listen, ‘Lasky, you want this blowjob or you want a slap?”

“Kinky.”

Then Brian was down on his knees, tugging down Alaska’s slacks. He bit his lip when he saw the ‘ALASKA’ underpants. What kind of marketing genius? Brian pressed a kiss to the thin boxers, and Justin throbbed against his lips. When Brian looked up at him, Justin smirked down at him.

“You look kinda gay like that.”

Brian groaned, and his jeans were too tight. He felt a bead of precum drip down Justin’s boxers as he massaged him through the material. Brian sucked him through the fabric just so he could see how sinful Justin’s cock looked straining against his boxers.

He treasured every moan that he stole from Justin’s lips. He knew those sounds would find him in his wet dreams, and Brian whimpered as he sucked down, cheeks hallowing.

“Stop teasing,” Justin pleaded, and Brian loved the hint of desperation in his voice. The door opened, and Brian knew how he must look like down on his knees.

He pulled down Justin’s boxers and just held him there. Justin whimpered as he swirled his thumb over the slick skin and slowly pumped down his hard length. Brian twisted his hand as he pulled up, just like how he liked it himself, and Justin’s knees buckled.

Then he was back at it, with his wrapped his lips around him. Brian bobbed to the beat of the music. He could tell by Alaska’s sharp breathe that he was pushing him closer to the edge.

“A-ah, Brian!”

He held him there and swallowed up every last drop. He licked him clean, loving how wrecked that Justin sounded.

“Is that how you play a wing man?” Justin laughed as he pulled Brian up for a kiss. “Didn’t know it came with complimentary blow jobs. I’ve been doing it wrong all these years.”

“Yeah, how about a new game? Let’s pretend to date until one of us catches feelings.”

“You’re a crazy, bitch, you know that, Brian?“

"You love it.”

“Fuck, I do.”

#katya zamolodchikova #alaska thunderfuck #katlaska #out of drag #au #squeaky #rpdr fanfiction #submission #canon compliant #smut

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