Title: The After Party
Author: puccafan
Characters / Pairing: Chris/Jal. Anwar and Michelle also featured.
Spoilers: S2, "Chris." Set halfway through the episode, before Angie, the breakup, and Jal's discovery.
Summary: Chris, Jal and a few accomplices return home after a night out.
A/N: Sequel to " Jal's Coming Out Party." Hope someone likes.
Stumbling, arm in arm, and thoroughly pissed, Michelle and Jal tripped over the side of the pavement - landing heavily on arms and knees in the dark - then promptly dissolved into giggles.
The two boys trailing behind them pulled to an abrupt stop.
" Woah."
Anwar cocked an eyebrow.
Equally entranced by the two posteriors wiggling merrily in the gutter - especially after having come to know one of them in such detail over the past few weeks - Chris was almost too distracted to notice the expression of equal interest on his friend's face.
Almost.
" Ow! What the fuck Chris?" cried out Anwar angrily, hand flying up to rub the spot Chris had just deftly slapped.
Chris simply grinned, and patted Anwar lightly on the cheek.
" Eyes off mate."
As Chris walked over to help up the girls Anwar rubbed his cheek sorely, a wounded expression on his face of utmost severity.
" Yeah, well, you hit like a girl."
Chris didn't reply - too busy hoisting Jal up and at the same time trying to catch Michelle, who was at that moment exhibiting a drunken disregard for gravity.
Letting go of Jal's arm Chris grabbed Michelle round the waist and pulled her shakily upright. Michelle blinked - as if confused as to how she had come to be vertical - then spotting Chris broke out into a grin.
" Wh - oh thanks Chris!" cried out Michelle, garbling brightly then reaching out and affectionately rubbing his hair with alcohol fuelled enthusiasm.
Chris smiled back at her and placed his hands on her shoulders in a stabilising gesture.
" 's alright 'chelle."
Michelle giggled in response, as Chris leaned in, cheekily cocked his head in Jal's direction, and added in a stage whisper.
" Just keep it down, my lady friend might get jealous."
" Nah fuck off." dismissed Jal loudly from the side, looping her arms around Chris's neck and pulling him round to face her.
" You're all mine." she declared, smiling lazily up at him.
" Yeah I am." replied Chris happily, leaning down and giving Jal a light kiss.
" Whipped." came the sour comment from behind.
In front Michelle rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner, and interrupting the couple she grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her away from Chris, before Jal had time to protest.
" Ugh, gross. C'mon Jal."
" Gross?! You and Tony used to do that all the time!"
Chris watched in amusement as Michelle and Jal tottered down the middle of the empty street, wavering in and out of the shadows cast by the lamp-posts lining the pavements. In the darkness their loud, animated voices bounced around aimlessly.
" Tony?! Tony shmoney! I hate Tony. Fuck Tony!"
" Yeah! Fuck Tony! Tony and his wonky cock!"
" Fuck Tony! And fuck buses too!"
" And trains!"
" And mushy peas!"
" And fucking crazy frog ring-tones!"
Anwar stepped up next to Chris and observed wryly.
" Mate, your girlfriend's a pisshead."
" I know." replied Chris proudly, smiling.
Anwar sighed wistfully.
" Wish mine was like that."
Without taking his eyes off the girls further up the road Chris tilted his head to the side in interest.
" What's wrong with her?"
Anwar raised an eyebrow flatly.
" Apart from the fact that she likes guys who bat for the other team? One in particular?"
" Oh right," Chris chortled and Anwar turned to look at him with a slightly indignant expression. Consolingly Chris slung an arm around Anwar's shoulder and patted him.
" Well I've been there mate."
The boys resumed walking down the road - in pursuit of the girls up ahead - continuing their conversation.
" What? Angie?"
Chris nodded, and snorted in light amusement at the memory.
" So what did you do?"
" Nothing," answered Chris, looking down the street. " It wasn't the real deal."
It was a nice night. Jal liked nights these. Quiet nights.
Tilting her head skywards Jal smiled.
In the distance Jal heard something that could be vaguely associated with a cat knocking over a dustbin. Up above a barely visible pattern of stars blinked down at her from the black sky above.
These were the kinds of nights that transported you out of the city. And to Jal it suddenly felt like the only thing keeping her from simply pushing up off the ground and escaping into the night was Michelle's arm, loosely linked through hers.
Of course that feeling could have also been partially due to the three lagers and several Jack Daniels coursing through her veins.
" Jal?"
" Yes 'chelle?"
" How long have you and Chris been fucking?"
Jal closed her eyes and dropped her head.
Above her the stars blinked and went out.
Purposefully Jal sighed in annoyance and looked pointedly at Michelle. But whether Michelle didn't notice or simply ignored Jal's silent protest made no difference - she simply continued waiting patiently for Jal to answer, eyes open with innocent interest.
Jal sighed and looked back down the road.
" A few weeks now." conceded Jal, in a tone of voice resigned to the conversation.
" Is he any good?"
" What?"
Michelle screwed her face up, struck with a moment of confusion.
" Well - it's just I thought he had a really tiny cock - doesn't he?"
Jal laughed, and shook her head.
" Ah Chelly, don't believe everything you hear. "
Michelle nodded - bottom lip stuck out as she digested new information - then immediately turned around and yelled back down the street.
" Kudos on the big cock Chris!"
" Michelle!"
The girl in question burst out into giggles, as Jal slapped her on the arm, making them veer wildly to the side of the road.
" Oops - watch the Peugeot Jal - don't wanna scratch that baby!"
10 minutes later the girls had turned around to ask the boys a question and solve a matter of great importance - something involving the eating habits of hamsters if either girl were sober enough to recall - and discovered Anwar and Chris were nowhere to be seen.
After searching behind a few cars - just in case of some kind of impromptu game of hide and seek they weren't aware of - Jal and Michelle gave up and took seats on someone's garden walls. Sat opposite each other and legs swinging they remained silent for a while, only breaking the quiet to laugh as they tossed Jal's broken pumps back and forth in a reinvented version of catch.
" Do you love him Jal?"
For the second time that night Jal shook her head at Michelle's new found tendency to ask the important and random questions in quiet moments.
Jal tossed her Warehouse pump back to Michelle. Who made no effort to catch it, and with a flurry of leaves the shoe landed in a bush to her right.
" Why the fuck do you wanna know?"
Michelle shrugged and idly leaned over her wall to peer into the bush.
" 'mm, I dunno."
Shrugging again - deeming the shoe lost - Michelle straightened and stared at Jal thoughtfully." Consider it a matter of interest."
Jal watched as Michelle glanced down at her own shoes.
" Everyone's so fucked up these days. 's nice to hear about someone who isn't. "
There was a moment's pause, before Jal narrowed her eyes at her friend's quiet disposition.
" Hey - are you sobering up?"
Michelle's head shot up in protest.
" No!"
Jal smiled and chucked her other shoe at Michelle.
" Yeah - you better not be."
Michelle laughed and swerved to avoid the flying footwear.
Left with nothing to throw Jal swung her legs, her heels lightly hitting the brick wall.
" Mmmm."
Michelle frowned.
" What?"
Jal smiled serenely.
" That's my answer."
" Oh. " Michelle bit her lip." Was that a "yes mmm" or a "no mmm"?"
Jal giggled and waggled her eyebrows at Michelle.
" Not telling."
In response Michelle stuck out her tongue and blew a noisy raspberry.
Jal snorted.
" That's attractive."
" Same to you … Miss Piggy."
" Oi, fuck off!"
Michelle got to her feet and growled in a menacing gesture - but before she could carry out her counter attack, a window above them was flung open and a middle aged man with a balding patch and bare chest started to yell down at them.
Belt buckles and expletives raining down from the window above, Jal and Michelle grabbed each other hands and raced away from the house, laughing hysterically.
5 minutes later they were still walking down the road and swinging hands when Michelle spoke out decisively.
"I think it was a "yes mmm." Girl of my experience can tell the difference."
When the girls first came into sight it was difficult to distinguish one from the other. Chris squinted in the darkness and he and Anwar stepped up the pace, till they were close enough to see Michelle and Jal slumped against each other - arms wrapped tightly around each other's bodies - swaying slightly side to side, and giggling lightly.
Anwar broke out into an ecstatic grin and punched Chris on the arm.
" Hell yeah!"
Chris punched Anwar back - maybe a little harder - and confidently strolled over to his girlfriend and her best mate.
Michelle - eyeing Chris approaching over Jal's shoulders - let out a particularly violent giggle and pointed wildly at Chris, making Jal tipple dangerously.
" Hey Chris! You better get Jal on a shorter leash, she's trying to come on to me!"
Chris grinned confidently and continued approaching.
" Nah don't worry, I've got the perfect plan."
Striding over, Chris smoothly grabbed Jal round the waist, and pulling her from Michelle, deftly swung her round and over his shoulder.
Jal yelped at her sudden disorientation, whilst Michelle burst into giggles, and Chris merrily patted Jal on the bum.
" You're too drunk to walk." he declared.
" I'm not doo tunk!"
" And your shoes have gone missing."
Frowning, Jal stared at the pavement before noticing what was conveniently placed just below her swinging head. Smirking Jal reached down and pinched.
" Ow! Jal - what the fuck?"
" You did mine." Jal coyly replied to Chris.
" I patted! Don't pinch my ass!"
Behind them Jal could still hear Michelle laughing, and though the blood and alcohol rushing to her head disabled her from looking up, she heard her friend yell out goodbye to her and Chris, and merrily tell Anwar to fuck off home.
10 minutes later Jal was still slung over Chris's shoulder, cave-man style. He was surprisingly strong as it turned out. Jal smiled to herself, happily relishing in another quality Chris had revealed as a boyfriend. And heavy lifting was always a good trait, no doubt about it.
As he walked she swung side to side, like a pendulum. In a few hours time no doubt such sensation would cause her to heave - but in her alcohol addled state it was making Jal all the more drowsy.
Blinking Jal focussed on Anwar - who was upside down and moving side to side - and frowned at the obscene gesture he was making with his tongue and hand. Honestly, the drunker Anwar got, the hornier got. Sketch may have been a stalker with an obsessive crush on a gay man but Jal still couldn't figure out how Anwar had possibly coaxed her to bed.
Meeting her eyes, Anwar waggled his eyebrows - before his face fell at her response. With the whiny voice of a 5 year old Anwar called out to Chris.
" Hey, hey Chris! Your girlfriend's giving me the finger! " And as a realisation slowly dawned on him, Anwar started to burst into giggles. " Your girlfriend's fingering me Chris!"
" Ah, what does that make you then? A fucking pussy?" replied Chris nonchalantly.
Jal laughed loudly.
" Anwar the pussycat. " Flapping her hand at him, Jal narrowed her eyes whilst simultaneously trying to focus them on Anwar's head. The result made her look a bit cross eyed. " Shoo kitty."
By the time Chris and Jal reached her front door Anwar had indeed been shooed off, and arriving at her doorstep Chris deposited Jal on the ground - and started laughing as he instantly had to reach forward and catch her as she dozily started falling backwards.
Steadying herself with a hand placed over the ones around her waist, Jal shook her head, refocused her gaze on Chris, then slapped him on the arm.
She then giggled as Chris leaned backwards blearily, then blinking fixed his condemning stare on her and pouted.
Jal smiled, and in an appeasing gesture leant up and kissed him on the lips.
With no spectators this activity continued for several minutes, until Jal broke away and countered Chris's disappointed, open mouthed look with a request for him to come inside.
Chris glanced at the door warily - as if Jal's father were waiting on the other side brandishing a crow bar.
" I dunno Jal - I'm not sure I'm up for it tonight. Or even if I can fucking get it up. " Chris turned and grimaced at Jal. "Been laying on Anwar's special brew a bit thick."
" Oh." Jal took her turn to pout, and reaching up she took hold of Chris's lapels. Chris grinned down at her as she continued. " Do you think you'll be dead in the morning?"
" Well I might be if your fucking Dad catches me in your room."
Not letting of his front, Jal looked up and met Chris's eyes with a grin.
" Good thing Dad's staying over at his new girl's place."
" What? Fucking Crystal or summat?"
" Or Precious or some other fucking stupid name like Froo Froo."
Chris laughed, and wrapping his arms around Jal mused conversationally.
" And now that I think about it, if I'm gonna call in sick tomorrow morning I might as well play hooky with you. You've got college off tomorrow morning right?"
" Right." conceded Jal begrudgingly. " Though I really should tell you off for calling in sick."
" Are you gonna?"
" Nah. Can't be arsed."
Chris smirked and bent his head down.
So at 3:42 am on a Tuesday morning in Bristol - after foraging in the kitchen for food and drink - Jal and Chris curled up together on her bed, fully clothed and still gloriously sozzled.
Chris yawed against Jal's hair - inadvertently biting down on it - and Jal murmured softly into her pillow.
" I dunno why I thought cereal and peanut butter together was a good idea."
" 's 'cos we're not drunk enough yet." replied Chris sagely.
" 'm drunk enough thank you very much."
Chris chuckled quietly.
" I can tell - I've had my hand down your top for 5 minutes and you haven't said anything yet. 's fucking miracle."
To prove his point Chris tickled Jal in the aforementioned place, and she lightly kicked back into his shins. But neither did she remove his hand. Instead she paused, before replying.
" I'm not a prude."
" Didn't say that." Assured Chris, wrapping his other arm tightly around her waist. Resting his head next to hers, Chris murmured into her ear. "Just choosy about when it's petting time for the ladies 's all."
7 minutes and 37 seconds later Chris and Jal - despite not having moved - were both still pleasantly wide awake, eyes shut, pressed up to each other warmly and breathing steady - but still conscious.
And silent too, till Chris's mumbly voice piqued up again in Jal's ear, with the faintest murmurs of resent.
" This isn't fair Jal."
" What? You getting sober before you pass out?" whispered Jal back, voice thick and on the verge of sleep.
" No. Well, yeah. But - it's just that I've spent the whole night with you Jal, and not once have I been naked."
Jal patted Chris on his thigh, where it was curled next to hers, almost on top of her own legs.
" Poor horny Chris."
Chris breathed out through his nostrils, tickling the hair on the back of Jal's neck.
" 'm not horny. ' jus love you is all."
" What?"
" Mm, nothing."
There was silence for another 43 seconds, till Chris spoke again.
" You know what?"
" What Chris?"
" You're the only girl I've slept with."
Lightly Jal snickered into her pillow.
" I know that's not true."
" Nah - without pucking."
Jal smiled a little to herself in the dark.
" Is that a compliment Chris?"
" 's'posed to be yeah."
" Cheers then."
" No probs."
" Oh and Chris?"
" 'm?"
" I nothing you too."
" Ah…. Ace."