Craig watched the figure dance across the stage. She wore a deep red band across her chest and a cloth around her waist with gold sequins decorating them. It kind of reminded him of those belly dancer outfits... The girl's shoulders were dusted with gold, her pale skin reflecting the light. She wore a red mask that glittered, and ribbon around her throat. Her lips stained gold and short blond hair seemed to float around her head like a halo.

"Craig! Dude, come on..." Clyde huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Huh?" Craig turned his attention to his friend but the dancer took hold of the pole at the end of the catwalk and he couldn't remember the asinine comment he'd been about to make... too bad she wore shorts under her skirt... they were skin tight though... and left little to the imagination... damn she had a nice ass.

"God damn it Craig. We came here to celebrate your birthday and you won't even talk to us!" Clyde gave him a hard slap to the back.

"Give it up Clyde... I guess he's more inclined to watch his lady love rather than use the very expensive ticket to have her all to yourself for a night..." Token gave a sly smirk as Craig stared at him wide-eyed. Craig stared at his friend as Token brandished a ticket. The stoic snatched it, staring at this pass to heaven.

"What, not even a thank you? Do you have any idea how hard it was to get that? She only accepts special clients... I had to pull quite a few favors to get it..."

"Token, I love you. When is this for."

"Tonight actually. At 10. In one of the rooms here. You just have to go up to the bar tender and present your ticket."

"Token, I love you."

"We can't sit here and watch you be alone for the rest of your life. After all this is the only person youve ever shown interest in."

Craig sat back in his seat and let his eye trail over the dancer. She wasn't the first. Though his friends wouldn't know about the other...

3 Years ago

"The fuck are you trying to do McCormick." Craig deadpanned as the blond draped himself over his shoulders.

"Isnt it obvious? I'm trying to seduce you." his voice was low in the raven's ear.

"You've already done that, moron. We're in school, get off."

Kenny grinned. "As if either of us really care."

"I'm dead if my dad finds out."

Kenny hummed in thought staring down at the sketchbook sitting on the desk. "Are you drawing me again?"

"Shut up."

Kenny smiled. Craig was skilled. "You turned me into an angel." indeed the paper held the image of Kenny supporting a pair of large, feathered wings.

There was silentce as Craig continued adding smaller details to the sketch.

"Hey Craig... feel like skipping last period?" Kenny hummed in his ear

Craig could feel his face starting to heat at the unsaid promises that that question held.

"...yeah." He closed his sketchbook and stuffed it into his bag.

"Where are you going?" Clyde asked as Craig shoved past him on his way out the door.

"Bathroom."

Of course a relationship such as theirs couldn't go one unnoticed forever.

"Oiy, Craig. C'mere a minute."

Craig paused with his foot still on the bottom stair his father's tone sent a chill up his spine and his heart plummeting into his stomach. He slowly crept to the living room. His first clue was that his mother was sitting on the couch, crying. The second was that several of his sketchbooks and piles of his papers were scattered across the coffee table.

"What-"

"Where were you today?" Thomas demanded.

"I told you I went to a friends house."

"The McCormick boy?"

"Yeah."

"And what is your relationship with that trash."

Craig flushed but swallowed his immediate reaction. "He's my friend."

"You two fucking each other?"

"What the hell dad-"

"I asked you a fucking question." the larger man threw down the papers he had in his hands his face red with anger. Craig watched in horror as the sketches and water colors that he'd made using Kenny as a nude model were laid bare.

"He... he offered to model for me. Ever hear of art?" Craig glared and his father stood.

"Don't take that tone with me. I've already contacted the McCormicks!"

"You what!?" Craig dropped his backpack. Kenny's family would fucking sacrifice him to a cult or worse.

"Did I fucking stutter? I did not raise my son to be a faggot!"

Needless to say the argument didn't end well and turned physical real quick. The only reason Craig didn't go to the hospital was because his mother managed to stop his dad and gave him an hour to get his shit and move out. Ruby helped pack his things and even hid the majority of what he couldn't take immediately. Token was there with his car as soon as Craig called and he was out and officially homeless.

"Dude! What the- fuck this I'm calling the damn police!" Token was furious when Craig walked out with bruises and cuts. They had knocked over a picture and the glass had gotten all over the floor where they were fighting.

"Chill Toke... Its fine. You know they wouldn't do anything anyways..."

"Well... Mom says you can have one of the extra rooms..."

Mrs. Black welcomed him with open arms and ranted and cried for his sake, never once asking why. The next day Craig went to the McCormicks only to find a dark and abandoned house.

Present

Craig sighed at the memories and stood.

"Hey, where you goin?" Clyde asked.

"Bathroom." he muttered.

The two boys watched their friend walk away. "He has no clue does he?" Clyde asked.

Token smiled, watching their old acquaintance continue dancing. "This will definitely be the best birthday present ever."

"Hey." Craig slid his ticket across the counter and the bartender picked it up. After a moment of raised eyebrows and questioning looks the man lead him into one of the back rooms and told him to wait.

Damn he was nervous. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and unzipped his jacket. The incense being burned smelled intoxicating. He sat in a chair and glanced around the room. A bed, chest of drawers, table and two chairs were the only things here. The color scheme seemed to be red and gold, just like his dancer... the door opened and she entered, her steps graceful and sure. Every movement spoke of seduction and sinful desires. Then she paused and Craig swore that her eyes got bigger. She had beautiful blue eyes outlined with gold dust.

This was his first time seeing her up close. Her pale skin was marred by scars though they were faded with time. Something about that made him angry, that someone would ever dare do her harm. She regained her composure and glided closer, climbing easily onto the chair so she straddled his lap. She was so close but not touching. Craig could smell her perfume, something about it was so familiar but it escaped him as her fingers slid under his hat and combed through his hair, discarding the cloth. Craig closed his eyes and took a deep breath as those hands slid over his ears and down his neck to his shoulders.

Craig swallowed as the dancer's thumbs traced his collarbones and followed them to his shoulders sliding the jacket down his arms. There were butterflies in his stomach and his chest ached.

"Kenny..." he practically breathed the boy's name and the man above him stiffened, his hands tightening over his shoulders. He opened his eyes to stare into the boy's face, watching tears slide down his cheeks from under the mask. Craig reached up and pulled the ribbon that held it in place, gently removing it and revealing his friend.

"How..."

"How? How wouldn't I recognize you? I've been touched by these hands more times than I can't count." Craig smiled and wrapped his arms around his waist. "I missed you."

"I saw you watching me... creep." the blond chuckled.

"Shut up McCormick." Craig slid his hand up the other's back, his fingers tracing over the bumps of his spine before pulling him down to meet his lips.