Hey guys!
So reading a suggestion in one of the reviews on this story, I was inspired by your suggestion and decided to continue this story a little further. If all goes well, I might even write a third, at a push, but we'll have to see!
So, as always, I don't own any of the characters in 'St. Elmo's Fire', nor do I claim to own them. All I own is the plot for this story!
Hope you enjoy this little chapter and please remember to leave a review if you can, folks.
~RavenclawCookie
Kirby was working behind the bar at his latest job. His arm drew large sweeping circles across the sleek surface of the counter, the cloth clenched in his hand polishing the smooth wood until it was spotless. It was mid-afternoon and thankfully, not many people were occupied the bar at this time. Only a few people were slumped in corners sipping softly on their drinks, having already been served. This allowed Kirby's mind to wander as he grabbed a glass and began to clean.
His mind wandered to Leslie.
Their relationship had been more than satisfactory to this point; Kirby felt so happy when they were together, to the point of almost brimming over with love and adoration for her. When she kissed him, nothing else seemed to matter and in her absence, her blissful kiss seemed to linger on his lips in a way that kept him feeling alive.
But in the back of his mind, he was always suffering from mild panic. One that never seemed to completely leave him alone, even at his happiness. This panic became more apparent whenever he was with Alec - or Kevin, for that matter. Sitting casually at the bar, sucking back on a beer with Alec suddenly became a rather daunting prospect and almost insufferable task. At the back of his troubled mind, he was constantly fighting with the urge to tell Alec about his and Leslie's relationship or keep in concealed. The revelation of the truth may cause his and Alec's friendship to break; he was constantly trying to win Leslie back as of late, and Kirby felt sick at the thought of having to tell Alec that it wasn't him that she wanted. It was Kirby.
It was the same with Kevin; what made it worse was that he lived with the guy. The guilt and the battle against the truth constantly raged within him whenever Kevin was around. Thankfully, Kirby's new job had made it slightly easier. And Kevin was always shut up in his room writing about the ins and outs of life, anyway.
Leslie seemed to be the only thing that was keeping him sane.
The soft tinkling of a bell lurched him back to the present, yanking him out of his reverie. The door had opened and a customer had walked in; dumping his cleaning cloth, he leant upon the counter expectedly, looking up to see who his client was.
Leslie Hunter's soft brown eyes met his, lit in a sparkling smile of happiness as she looked upon him. The crimson bow tie of St. Elmo's Fire bar was now cobalt blue, with the apron to match. It was the first time she had seen Kirby in his new job.
"Hey," she smiled, leaning across the counter and placing her lips on his in a gentle kiss.
"Hey," Kirby breathed, blue eyes in awe of her as she drew up a stool at the bar. Her chestnut hair, dashed with flecks of copper and heavily layered in the latest fashion, bounced softly as she hopped upon the tall chair and the pearls draped around her neck rattled ever-so-slightly.
"May I get you a drink, ma'am?" Kirby asked smugly, donning a jokey attitude.
Leslie played along, grinning softly. "Yes, I'd like a Margarita, please, bartender."
"Comin' right up!" Kirby winked at her, before bustling behind the counter, preparing her drink.
"So...When do you finish your shift tonight, Kirby?" Leslie asked, her hands playing restlessly with each other on the counter.
"About, 6:30." Kirby said, arms working at a busy pace.
"Great, because I thought we could go for dinner." Leslie said.
"Sounds great!" Kirby replied enthusiastically, pouring in the freshly-shaken cocktail and (after decorating it with a wafer-thin slice of lime) placed it gently on the counter in front of her.
Leslie's hand brushed his gratefully as she took a sip. She made a soft "mmmmm" of approval. Perfect.
There was silence for a few moment as Kirby cleaned up and Leslie sipped her drink. It have Kirby some time to think; going out to dinner with Leslie would be great, instead of having to hide in the bedroom of his and Kevin's apartment having ordered Chinese food every time she was round. Or, alternatively, doing the same at Jules' apartment. But if they were out in the open, what would be the chance of either Alec or Kevin seeing them?
Kirby bit his thin bottom lip, pondering over whether to voice this thought to Leslie or not. Deciding against it, the worry slowly began to fade as he and Leslie began chatting at the bar. They wouldn't be caught. It was fine.
In truth, Kirby was tired of playing these games. In a way, he wished he could just announce he and Leslie's relationship to the group, no matter the cost. He had a feeling Jules already suspected, but she wasn't going to say anything. Since Billy left, she hardly did anymore.
Kirby loved Leslie; he had never been in a relationship where he'd felt this elated whenever he was with someone. Being his friend previously since college, Kirby found he could have a laugh with Leslie, too. He'd never expected to love her like this; but he'd always thought to himself how beautiful she was. He knew of Kevin's feelings right from the start, and it had never crossed his mind to be with her. They'd had their moments and close calls back at college - but didn't everyone? He couldn't have anticipated the way he would feel about her, but he was glad he did.
Leslie's hand was firmly clasped in Kirby's as they took the elevator up to his apartment. They'd just returned from a fulfilling dinner at one of downtown's best restaurants. Leslie looked more than beautiful; a lace skirt of onyx danced around her ankles and a billowing white blouse billowed upwards from her middle, highlighting her perfect figure. Her hair was as it always was, but this time Leslie had tied a tartan bow just above her fringe. Kirby was completely in awe of the way she looked tonight. He was proud to have a girl like her on his arm.
Kirby himself had attempted to make a rather stirling effort to look presentable. His cropped dark-blonde hair was combed back from his face, and an onyx blazer was draped over his shoulders. Instead of his usual white sneakers he wore polished shoes and his shabby jeans were replaced with warm grey straight and pressed trousers.
They looked and felt like the perfect couple.
Stomachs full and heads swimming from the rich wine; they tumbled softly into the apartment, giggling softly. As they emerged into the room, Kirby twirled Leslie round beneath his arm. Her lace skirt billowed round her heels and made her look even more like a princess, in Kirby's eyes. She fell into him, hands sliding round his neck, hugging him close to her. His hands slid to her waist and she enveloped herself in his warmth. Together they swayed in the dim lights of the apartment, forgetting, for once, that their relationship was a secret.
"Well. This is new." Came a voice suddenly out of the gloom.
Simultaneously, Leslie and Kirby both started violently, jumping apart instantly. Kirby hit the light switch with his elbow, eyes wide and feverishly searching for the intruder. It was a voice he knew well, but could not be certain of. Whoever he suspected it was shouldn't be anywhere near here...
As the lights flickered on, the incandescent bulb above them casting a revealing glow on the intruder, Leslie and Kirby's mouths both fell open in shock.
Billy Hicks was draped lazily over the armchair in the corner of the room, a cigarette hanging from his smirking lips. Reaching up, he slipped it between his fingers, tugging it from his mouth so as to allow him to speak.
"Hey Les, hey Kirbo," he grinned.
Despite the shock and the realisation that they had been caught, Kirby and Leslie couldn't help but exchange an elated grin before bounding over to where Billy was sat.
"Billy Hicks. I don't believe it." Kirby said, arms folded across his chest, shaking his head softly in disbelief.
Leslie threw her arms around Billy, almost knocking the blazing cigarette from his hands. "You're supposed to be in New York!" She cried.
Billy shrugged, "Things are going great over there, but I thought I'd come back and visit you all for a couple of days." He took a drag, smoke billowing from his lips.
"Jules'll be thrilled!" Leslie beamed.
"Have you seen her already?" Asked Kirby, resting himself on the opposite arm of the chair.
"No, but I'm gonna head over to her place right after you two tell me how this happened." He chuckled softly, running a hand through the wild mane of dark hair that ran down the nape of his neck.
Leslie and Kirby glanced at each other. Both felt to awkward and intimidated by the mischievous look on Billy's face to speak.
"Well," Kirby began finally. "It happened here, actually," his eyes shifted uneasily round the apartment.
Leslie moved beside Kirby, her fingers lacing through his as he spoke. "And it was kind of spontaneous," she smiled, biting down on her bottom lip.
"Well, I'm happy for you guys!" Billy cheered, straightening up in his seat.
"Thanks, Billy." Leslie chuckled.
Billy hesitated for a moment. "But, do the other guys know? Alec? Kevin?"
"No," They both chorused. Kirby sighed softly.
"Well I think it's about time they knew, don't you?" Billy said, raising an eyebrow cautiously.
"Yeah... we just..." Kirby trailed off momentarily before picking up his train of thought once more. "...We don't want to upset everybody."
"Who cares about them? They blew their chance, didn't they, Les?" Billy said, with a careless wave of his hand. Slowly, Leslie nodded in reply. "And Kirby's the one you love, right? Not Alec or Kevin?"
Tightening her grip on Kirby's fingers, Leslie nodded once again, her mouth winding into a taut smile.
"Well there you go then! If they can't deal with the truth and move on, then they can't be very good friends, can they? Besides, even if they do get mad, it won't last forever."
Leslie and Kirby looked at each other for long moment of silence, simply searching each other's eyes, affirming the answer they were both thinking.
"He's right, Leslie. Maybe it's time we stopped trying to hide the truth. I don't want to hide being from you. I've never been more proud to be with someone. I... I love you, Leslie." Kirby murmured, his voice a soft whisper, caressing her cheek.
At those words, tears began to glimmer in Leslie's deep brown eyes. And without a moment's consideration or hesitation, the words "I love you too, Kirby," tumbled from her lips.
"You what?!" Came a voice from behind them.
Kevin Dolenz was stood in the door frame, a bag of groceries clutched in his arms. His eyes were wide with disbelief and his face was a mask of shock and anger.
Regaining his hold on Leslie's hand, Kirby's mouth formed a hard line, set firmly in his jaw. "It's true. Sorry, Kevin."
Kevin turned to Leslie, eyes narrowing. "Is it?" He gasped, imploring her for an answer.
"Yes, Kevin. I love Kirby."