"Hey watch it huh? This thing ain't cheap!" A pretentious-looking hybrid car sped down the bustling Los Angeles street, nearly colliding with the large steel ladder strapped sideways to the side of Eaglebones' bike. Flipping his hair and huffing in annoyance he pedaled hard, his bike only managing to crawl down the dirty back alley that bled into a small residential apartment complex. He'd picked up the window washing gig as a way to earn a few bucks while he worked on his music degree, and -though grimy and un-punk rock as the work was- it quickly became his one way ticket to a brand new, fully strung, cherry red sunburst Fender Stratocaster. Biking to class one morning he'd caught sight of it in the window of a dingy music shop and he nearly rode straight into a nearby garbage can gaping at it. It had to be his, and if he had to scrub a thousand filthy windows with his bare hands, he'd bite the bullet and go for it.
Pulling up to the backside of a row of homes he peered up at the windows, inspecting them. He gave a defeated sigh as he took in their state. Nobody wants to wash their own windows for once, make his job easier? He grumbled a bit and set up his ladder, strapping a clunky utility belt full of cleaning supplies around his skinny waist and clambering up to the top. Making sure he had secure footing he grabbed a bottle of cleaner and a wiping tool and froze.
Shit.
He always panicked when there were people on the other side of the glass; he felt like he was creeping up on them and it felt sleazy. Then there was the inevitable moment where they noticed you and you had to do the whole mime-why-I'm-staring-into-your-bedroom-window-because-there's-a pane-of-glass-between-us-that-you-for-some-reason-can't-hear-me-through act. Ideally the owners weren't home and Bones could do his job and leave unnoticed.
But no, it was one of those days.
The young man in the room- it was a living room, Bones could see- couldn't have been much younger than Bones himself, a little scrawny but he had the beginnings of some impressive arm muscles showing past the sleeves of his faded blue tank top. He hadn't seen Bones yet (thank god), and he seemed to be in the zone. What particular zone that was Bones was unsure of, but he couldn't quite bring himself to care as the kid turned and bent to mess with some equipment in his entertainment center, giving him an unintentional bird's eye view of his booty-shorts clad, well, booty.
Bones shook his head roughly. I can't ogle people through their windows, that's totally not cool! he resolutely sprayed some cleaner on a spot to his left and scrubbed at it hard until again something made him stop. The window was pulsing, vibrating beneath his touch. That kid sure was having a party, solo or not, the opening to a peppy 80's song beating away under Bone's hands.
He scrubbed the same patch of window in lazy circles as the kid started to jerk his limbs around excitedly, dancing his way around the room with his eyes blissfully shut and a wide smile brightening the room.
He jerked his hips to the beat and ruffled his dark hair playfully to himself and Bones had to give a breathy chuckle. The kid was really into it, he had to give him that. His moves weren't completely embarrassing either, and Bones wasn't even a little bit surprised at how cute he thought the kid was. It was his M.O., falling for big dorks with cute little bubble buts. The braces were new though, Bones decided he liked them.
It struck him again just how creepy he was being and he scowled, deciding to come back another time when the house was empty and salvage whatever dignity he had left.
He took the first step down and just as he did the song changed and Bones groaned.
You've gotta be fucking kidding me.
He looked back through the window, a wide smile tinged with an affectionate are you serious look. The kid had his back to Bones, his arms held high above him and ceremoniously lowering slowly to his sides as the god damn Macarena thudded to life through the window pane.
"Go on, I dare you." Bones said to the window before him, his eyes falling shut and a loud laugh escaping him like air from a popped balloon as the kid began to expertly pull all the right moves in the holiest of party dances. Wow.
Bones decided to ignore the heat coming from his cheeks and lose himself in the kid's dancing, even bobbing his head along to the beat that he could still feel through the window. He stopped moving altogether and his jaw dropped as he saw, when the kid jumped and turned sideways (as the dance dictates) that he was singing along. He danced fluidly, obviously muscle memory for him, and on top of that he knew every word in what appeared to be -through a dirty window- perfect spanish.
He couldn't ignore his blushing now, even he couldn't talk himself out of being charmed by this kid. Maybe I could bail on the window for now, wash his neighbors' windows and wait for him to leave at some point? No way, that's exactly what a stalker would do, I don't want the guy to think I'm gonna murder him. Maybe sit at the cafe across the street, wait for him to leave, then bump into him and ask for his number? Still creepy Bones, think of something not creepy-
Lost in his train of thought the kid caught him off guard, jump-spinning again in time to the song and jerking to a halt as he locked eyes with an embarrassingly goo-goo-eyed Bones. The kid froze, music still thumping away but his body stock still, eyes the size of golf balls as Bones let out a very undignified squawk (which he was hoping the kid didn't hear) and lost his footing. He fell a few rungs and caught himself, clutching his chest with one hand and breathing heavily. "Shit shit shit shit shit shit-" loud music, a new song this time, spilled out onto the street and Bones looked up to find the kid staring at him with a mixed look of fear and confusion, with a sizable helping of plain curiosity.
"Can I help you...?"
Great. Now he had to explain why he was unmistakably staring at this guy shakin' what his momma gave him through a dirty window on top of a ladder like a complete creep to an adorable, talented and polite stranger. All to the lovely background music of Hungry Like the Wolf to top it all off.
"Er, um, no I just, um, trying to.." he held up the spray bottle clutched in one white-knuckled hand as a sort of visual aid, hoping the idea came across.
The kid turned to examine the glass around him and his brow furrowed. "If you're up here to wash my windows you're sure not doing a very good job."
Bones squinted his eyes as a retort. Did I say polite?
"Well y'know I was about to do my job, amazingly I might add, but I thought you were having a seizure and that I'd have to break in and save your life."
The kid actually put a delicate hand on his chest and scoffed "Ex-cuse me? I know for a fact that I'm an awesome-" his face fell. "Oh god. Oh god oh no you saw me dancing." He frantically locked eyes with Bones.
"That means you saw-?"
Bones nodded in mock-mournfulness.
"And you heard-?"
"Yep."
"...the Macarena..?"
" 'Fraid so."
"Oh my god." He buried his face in his hands, the tips of his ears displaying the bright shade of pink that must've matched the rest of him.
Bones smiled softly. This kid sure was full of surprises. He stuck a hand out -and up- towards the kid. "I'm Eaglebones. You can call me Bones if you want. And your moves weren't that bad, I promise."
The kid peeked an eye out through his fingers and considered the hand for a moment before clasping it in his own and shaking it awkwardly. "I'm Ricky, nice to meet you." Even the kid -Ricky- thought that was an odd choice of words given the fact that he's shaking hands out a window with the guy he just caught staring at him, and he stuttered out a giggle. Bones couldn't help but join in, the absurdness of it all fizzling around them like a tickle in your ear canal.
The laughter died out and neither boy knew what to say next, Ricky still blushing impressively and avoiding eye contact while Bones rubbed the back of his neck and did the same.
"While I'm up here," he smirked at Ricky, "do you um, wanna go out sometime?" They shyly met each other's gaze and Ricky smiled softly.
"You should know that I don't give every guy who spies on me through my window my number.." he laughed, a little out of breath, as he grabbed a sharpie from a nearby end table and gestured for Bones to give him his hand.
"Good to know I'm a special exception then." Nice one Bones. Real nice. He blushed to match Ricky's as he scribbled a phone number on the back of his left hand, taking in how pleasantly warm and soft his hands were.
"Call me friday? We can, I dunno, grab some dinner somewhere?" Ricky smiled at him and he felt his heart flutter in excitement.
Smirking again he leaned on the windowsill and looked up at Ricky casually after pretending to inspect his cuticles. "Sounds great! I know this great place, killer dance floor..."
"Is it too late for me to push you off of this thing?"
END!