Mario couldn't keep the smile off of his face. He wasn't drunk. But apparently Angus couldn't hold his liquor well and was a very happy drunk. The normally quiet and shy man was loud and uninhibited. Talking and laughing with complete strangers. Getting up close and personal.
Mario supposed that he should be annoyed about that. Because it wasn't just strangers whose personal space Angus was unaware of. Angus wouldn't stop touching him. Leaning against him while he drank his beer. A hand on his shoulder when he said he'd "be right back". He'd even ruffled his hair.
But for some reason Mario didn't mind. It wasn't the alcohol. Despite Angus insisting that it was happy hour he hadn't really had that much to drink. He was pleasantly buzzed but that was it.
So he couldn't come up with a reason for not minding what he normally would never have tolerated. It was nice though. Being touched just because. No hidden meaning behind it. Just two friends enjoying each other's company.
At least until Angus decided that he wanted to dance. Mario was expecting it to be funny. Something he could tease Angus about tomorrow. But it wasn't funny at all.
Where in the world had Angus learned to dance like that? He was practically having sex on the dance floor. Switching from one girl to another. Touching in ways that should be illegal.
It wasn't….right. His stomach was churning uncomfortably. Mario ordered a shot of vodka. The burning at least was familiar and explainable. Everything else he was feeling wasn't.
Mario kept watching and downing shots. The uncomfortable, unfamiliar feeling inside him growing. Then Angus abandoned his current pretty blond girl for a tall dark man.
Now Mario felt something very familiar. Anger. With the alcohol making his thoughts fuzzy he could only think of one thing. Getting that man away from Angus right now.
He slammed the money for their drinks down. Then he stood up and stalked out onto the dance floor. Other patrons quickly got out of his way recognizing the look on his face. "Back off." He growled at the interloper. He then grabbed Angus and dragged him towards the door.
"Mario what the hell?" Angus protested. Whatever else he'd been going to say stuck in his throat when he saw how furious Mario looked. Why was Mario angry at him? They were supposed to have fixed everything. "I don't understand."
Growling Mario shoved Angus against the wall. He leaned in and let out a frustrated cry when his head smashed into Angus's chin. He stretched up and shoved Angus's head down. Then he smashed their lips together.
Mine. Mine. Mine. Mario devoured Angus's mouth hungrily. He couldn't think of anything but being closer. He wanted and needed this so much.
So it took a while for him to register what he was hearing. No. He pulled himself away. No. He doesn't want me.
The shock cleared some of the alcohol induced fog. But it didn't change what Mario was feeling. The wantneedmine was still there. He looked at Angus and barely suppressed a whimper.
His lips were bruised and swollen. His hair was going every which way. He looked like someone who'd been ravished within an inch of his life. But his eyes were terrifying. He looked scared. Scared of me. Mario knew that he'd just ruined everything.
What just happened? Angus struggled to pull himself together. He kissed me. Why did he kiss me? "Why did you kiss me?"
"I don't know." Mario whispered miserably. He knew it had been unbearable to watch that stranger touch Angus. That he would have done anything to stop it. He knew wantneedmine. But why he didn't know.
Angus could practically see Mario's walls coming back up. And it made his heart ache. So he did the only thing he could think of. He took Mario's face in his hands and slowly leaned down to kiss him.
Angus kept it gentle. Just the softest pressure of his lips against Mario's. He soaked up everything. The feeling of rough, chapped lips. The musky scent of cologne. The solidness of the body pressed against his.
He couldn't say how long they stood there like that. It could have been seconds. It could have been hours. He just took it all in. Waiting for some response.
Then Angus felt Mario trembling. He pulled away running his hands up and down Mario's arms soothingly. "Hey. It's okay. We're okay." He stepped back putting a little distance between them. "It doesn't have to mean anything."
He's offering you an out. Mario knew it would be easy to blame the alcohol. If he said it didn't mean anything Angus would never mention it again. A couple of weeks ago he would have been happy for the out. Now he wasn't so sure.
"What if it did? Mean something?" He's aching to reach out and pull Angus back. But he needs to know what this is.
Angus studied Mario intently. Looking for something. There it was. He smiled softly. "That depends on what you want. If you want to trying being together then I'm willing."
Together. Mario knew what that word meant to Angus. It meant that he'd be there. He'd care for and support him in every way possible no matter what happened.
"Yes. I want you." Mario flushed at how eager he sounded. This wasn't him. He was more cool and controlled than that. You're going to scare him again.
Angus smiled softly. "Then you've got me." You've got me. As long as you want.
Mario grinned. I've got you. All this was still new and unfamiliar. But instead of ignoring it or pushing it away he embraced it. "I've got you." He pulled Angus towards him. "You've got me."
"Chocolatini." No one else noticed the way Mario looked when he said that. The faint smirk on his face as he remembered.
"It was happy hour Mario." Angus deadpanned. Keeping his mouth firm because if he smiled everyone would ask. And they weren't quite ready to share yet.
After work they'd go out for drinks again. But they'd only stay a little while. Who needed alcohol when you could get drunk on each other.