Pretty Woman

[fallenstar]

There were still dying ribbons of pink resting on the horizon when Jet settled in against the outside wall of the strip club. He could hear the bustle and voices of customers coming in for the night around the corner but didn't bother to look. He didn't care.

One, two, cigarettes and two other people stepped into the mouth of the alley. The shorter one turned to face the taller one and wrapped his arms behind their neck to pull the taller man into an intense kiss. They exchanged a few words, the shorter man kissed his friend again then saluted as he turned into the alley and walked up towards Jet.

The red head watched as the taller shadow seemed to hesitate a moment before finally leaving, then turned his attention to the man who'd settled in beside him with his own cig.

"Thought we agreed you weren't gonna hang around out here by yourself anymore."

Jet shrugged. "No one's really around yet. Besides, I got done with my stuff early and decided heading over was easier than hanging around."

Bucky didn't say anything to that, just gave a mildly irritated grunt and worked at the stick in his mouth instead. They were better at silence when it came to those heavier issues like why Jet wasn't supposed to hang around on his own.

Jet wasn't like Bucky, he didn't pack as much punch on his own, though he did have his height. Beyond that, Bucky had Steve who never failed to walk the brunette to and from work like an overprotective watchdog. Jet had been present for the arguments that had ensued about Bucky feeling like Steve didn't trust him to take care of himself, but those arguments had stopped after one night when a customer had gotten really handsy with Buck -more than any other customer before- and after the night when Bucky had found Jet behind the club after that one guy went too far.

That had been over a year ago and where Jet lacked a body-builder-esk boyfriend, he had his own methods of protection. It wasn't even really that he wanted a boyfriend like Steve, he had his classes and his job and plenty of things that made having a boyfriend difficult, but he'd be lying if he said the idea of having someone care that much about him didn't sound appealing.

Too bad he was a stripper and guys like Steve didn't come out of the woodwork very often.

"Come on, we should head in and get ready. You know Jackson hates it when we smell of smoke."

Jet nodded and stomped out the butt of the cig before leading the way through the back entrance and into the backrooms.

Comments

[copesetic]

That went ever so well, Albert sighs, dropping his cup of dregs into a trash can as they pass. "No, I should be apologizing. It's been over ten years, I shouldn't be so tied up over it."

But he is, and he's not going to be able to change quickly. It was a huge change to date Jet and he's not sure he can handle that much more in quick succession.

"We can go somewhere warmer. Maybe a movie, or we could eat something." Or I don't live too far by subway. but he doesn't say that. He can't, even if they've been together for awhile now. It's too forward, too presumptuous, and he doesn't want Jet to read anything into it. He finds the redhead attractive, sinfully so if he had to admit, but he doesn't want him thinking all his interest is just his body. It may be what piqued Albert's interest to start, but he genuinely likes Jet, wants to hear everything about him, wants to hear from him every day. It brings color into his world and that's worth everything.

He smiles a little, the soft one he gets when he's trying to be whatever Jet saw in him on that day outside the coffee shop enough to give him a chance. "We can talk about happier things. For example, I don't even know when your birthday is yet."

[fallenstar]

Jet doesn't give a response to that, it's too much of an invitation to open the subject back up and he's trying to avoid that. It's the smile, instead, that brings a brightness back to Jet's expression. He still hadn't figured out what that smile meant just yet, but he knew he liked seeing it there on Albert's face. He liked seeing Albert smile at all.

"It's still a couple months away, February 2nd. I'll be turning twenty-one. He says it with a smile, but it dampens a little with a note of exasperation. "Bucky'll..probably want to try and take me drinking, but...well, maybe we could do something instead? Don't really care what, we could sit around and try not to freeze to death with a cupcake and that'd be fine by me."

His best friend was well-meaning, he knew Jet's hang-ups, but he was of the mind Jet ought to face them head-on instead of slide around them. He also thought it was a complete tragedy that Jet was the only one in their little household who didn't know the 'joys' of booze. Jet figure he was fine without them.

Something occurred to the redhead that made his smile brighten by ten.

"At least I got to spend your birthday with you this year, I'm gonna have to wait a long time for the next one. Promise, I'll think of something better than what you got pulled into last time."

But, on the subject of where they should go... Jet glanced around and pointed to a little joint tucked away in a corner, unassuming on the busy street, but clean. "Let's go in there, they've got a mean burger they can grill up."

[copesetic]

"You don't want to go out with your friends? I thought the 21st birthday bar-hop was a big deal in America." He'd even had an offer to take them all out on the tip of his tongue before Jet continued; he certainly could use the brownie points with Bucky.

Jet goes on to mention Albert's birthday though and the older man reddens. He may not have wanted to be there that night, but he's certainly grateful for it considering what it had turned into and a repeat performance wouldn't exactly go amiss. Far from it, in fact. But how many people had gotten birthday lapdances from Jet Link at the Onyx Club? How many men and women had seen those long legs and gyrating hips and thought they wanted a piece of that ass to manhandle and the very idea makes him a little ill. He'd much rather Jet think up something on his own.

He says none of this, instead letting Jet lead them along to the hole in the wall burger joint he seems to have recognized and trying to find his appetite that seems to have fled. "That's fine. And I'll do better than a cupcake in the cold."

[fallenstar]

"Yeah? I'll hold you to that." Jet smirked, but as they were crossing the street, it dimmed a little. Albert had asked him about turning 21 and the infamous reason it was such a big deal and Jet had definitely heard him, but he was definitely holding off on answering.

They got inside and were seated and had a chance to order drinks and food before they were left alone again and Jet's lack of answer felt like a giant elephant on the table in front of them. He could play it off, make something up that might sound a little out of character for someone like him (because someone like him ought to be excited to bar hop) but it had been too long to play it off as nothing. But what he'd tell Albert was a bit of a big deal to share.

Then again, Jet had a feeling about Albert, one that told him he wanted this man in his life as long as he could keep him and to do that he had to be honest.

He reached for his napkin to fiddle with between his fingers. "To be honest, drinking's not much of an appeal to me in general. Steve and Bucky can drink and have booze in the apartment all the time, I could have some if I wanted, but I don't." His bangs fell into his face a bit and he shrugged. "See, when I was a kid, my Pa lost his job and it really shook him. He thought booze would be the best way to forget how worthless he was, but when he got drunk...well, he got mean." Jet looked up, fingers still twisting the abused napkin, but he smiled. It wasn't as bright as his usual smiles, but it wasn't forced at all. "He's in jail now, nothing to worry about, but it definitely put a sour note on the idea of drinking."

[copesetic]

"Ah." It's not a dismissive noise but rather one of acknowledgement and Albert realigns his role in whatever prospective birthday plans he'd been entertaining. Instead of a benefactor to win the favor of Jet's friends, he's now to be the protector, the pariah for Jet to save face. He imagines Jet's roommates will be disappointed, but if Albert needs to monopolize Jet's time to keep him from being forced into a miserable night, so be it. It works out for him best anyway. "Well, tell them you'll be busy then. I have ideas."

Not really, not yet, but it's a few months off and he has time to think of something dramatic. It's a little funny just how much he wants to impress the redhead in front of him, especially now that he's shown this vulnerability, trusted Albert with a piece of himself. Overcome with a still-novel sense of warmth in his chest, Albert reaches over and takes Jet's hand in his glove clad fingers.

[fallenstar]

Jet's fingers abandoned the misshapen napkin so they can link with Albert's fingers instead. The fact Albert had reached out instead of pulled away like in Jet's worst imaginings the last thirty seconds had provided him, sent a wave of relief through him. And his boyfriend's suggestion about his birthday plans replaced that sunshine-bright smile Jet had had outside.

He didn't know what 'plans' might be in the works in the older man's head, but Jet didn't find he was too worried about them. In fact, he half wished it was February already so he could just have that day already. He'd been pretty alright with going one day at a time, but with Albert, he found he was looking forward a lot more recently.

Jet squeezed Albert's hand a moment and looked back down to the napkin, embarrassment flaring. "You know...I'm really glad you fumbled that note and made me scare you off. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have found someone I'm so comfortable being around. Besides, it makes for a pretty damn good story, too." He looked back up with a smirk.

[copesetic]

"A story, hm? Is this something you're telling people?" He's not sure how he feels about that to be honest, but he likes Jet smiling and he likes being the one to cause it so he teases just a little more, trying to keep the sun in the sky for a little longer.

Thoughts come with what Jet said though, memories of how this all started, of how lonely and empty he'd been when Jet had quite literally danced into his life. He'd thought he'd never feel happy again, that he'd had it and lost it and that was it for him, nothing to look forward to but sending other people's tokens of love and hoping to reflect just a little of that feeling. Instead he found a new capacity for joy, a new lust for life where he started looking forward to things again, started expecting, anticipating, wanting, living. Even his music has improved, nearly all his professors making comment on it on his most recent midterms. All because of this one bright ball of sunshine that had decided to take a chance on a broken man and piece him back together.

Albert squeezes Jet's hands back, a soft smile sliding over the teasing one as Jet smirks at him. It's soft and humble, nothing biting like his usual rough demeanor, but gentle and kind and forever grateful for the new life that Jet had granted him.

"I'm glad too."

[fallenstar]

"Nah, not right now at least. Maybe in a couple years." His smile faltered as his brain caught up with his mouth and realized what he'd said. Years. Okay, way to presume and shoot way ahead there. He...definitely wanted that to be the case, but he also didn't want to scare the guy off; they'd only been together, what, weeks? And Albert seemed skittish enough as it was.

Luckily, a distraction in the form of their waitress coming their way with plates provided itself and Jet was quick to cut off any reaction from his boyfriend with that. "Hey, there's the grub! Just in time, I'm starving."

Smooth.

Hopefully he could just get through the rest of this date without eating his other foot too.