Date
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AN: Songs good for when they are in the club: "Feel So Right", "Sad Tango" and "Slowly" all by the Japanese artist Rain.
Not many people could quite make the connection between Commander Sampson and Richard Sampson. To many the commander was inhuman, he didn't seem to fit in anywhere but inside of DATS. No one could imagine him without his customary trench coat, tinted glasses and Kudamon firmly wrapped around his neck.
Thomas was therefore surprised by the man that met him on the peir just outside of DATS on Firday evening. Sampson wore a fitted brown leather jacket, tan slacks, brown boots and a deep blue turtleneck sweater with a very familiar yellow scarf around his neck in replacement of Kudamon. He still wore a pair of angular sunglasses, but he seemed so much more… Human.
Thomas stopped in front of Sampson, likewise clad in his civilian clothes, smiling as he took in the sight of the older man gazing out across the water.
"You shouldn't dress like this any more often." Thomas stated nonchalantly as he sauntered forward. "People might actually think you were human." Sampson's lips quirked upward as Thomas looked up at his commander. "Well? You said you wanted to take me somewhere for dinner."
Sampson chuckled and straightened, leaning forward to ruffle Thomas' hair, much to his chagrin and protest.
"Come on, then, it's not far."
They walked for a good half an hour, talking about pointless things before they arrived at a Kaiten-zushi bar. Thomas smiled at his companion as they entered, sitting down next to the commander in front of the small conveyer belt. He instantly snatched up some Nigiri and Gunkan, watching as Sampson grabbed for four dishes before he began eating.
They remained at the restaurant for well over an hour and Thomas found himself amazed at the sheer amount the man could eat. The Sushi Chefs didn't seem bothered and managed to keep up a steady stream of food not only for Sampson but for the other customers as well. The man himself seemed more than capable of eating and carrying on a conversation with no problems in etiquette or breathing. He remained politely attentive and would allow Thomas to speak as freely as he wanted, never judging or criticizing the young boy.
It was odd. Thomas was so used to people looking down at him because of his age or upbringing, never taking into account that he had achieved what most men took years, decades, to achieve in fourteen short years. He was unused to being respected for his opinions and abilities. It made him slightly nervous but he found himself relaxing in this man's presence with each passing minute.
After an hour and a half they were finished and Sampson walked to the register. The cashier grinned at Sampson before nodding to Thomas, whispering something that the younger boy couldn't hear. Sampson's body stiffened and his jaw set in a way that Thomas was all too familiar with as he received his change. It made him wonder what the man had said…
"Do you like dancing?" Sampson asked as they left the bar, beginning to walk towards a bus stop.
"I'm not very good at anything other than the waltz." Thomas sheepishly admitted. Dancing and having fun had never been one of his priorities.
"That's not what I asked." Sampson chided and Thomas realized that he hadn't really answered the question. He paused, thinking over his answer as the bus arrived.
"I suppose I like the idea of it… I've never had the chance to actually dance with someone other than at some debutante ball or somesuch."
Sampson seemed to accept this answer as they sat down side by side, Thomas gazing out the window, leaning against his much larger companion. He felt so small next to this man who dwarfed him in age and physique. He had taken down men Sampson's size but he doubted that he could ever do so with Sampson himself.
The bus stopped and Sampson stood, gesturing for Thomas to follow. The young man did so and looked around. There was a bus map next to where they were standing and the "you are here" star had the name "Shinjuku" underneath it. The neighborhood had bright lights despite the slightly cramped conditions. There were numerous bars, clubs and cafes, each one proclaiming their name proudly with hundreds of advertising billboards and electric signs surrounding them.
"Why are we here?"
"This is my neighborhood." Sampson smiled down at Thomas, the young boy blinked and looked around again, surprise on his face. Sampson lived in this area? It didn't seem like him at all, but then again, it made sense. Japanese people were known to be small. Sampson towered over everyone he met, his broad body making him stand out in a crowded room. In the middle of a city he would be able to easily vanish and people wouldn't pay him a second glance.
Sampson had taken Thomas' hand, the most contact they had had that night, and led him through the bustling streets. They came upon a large two story club with "Casablanca" written in bold, elegant script. Sampson looked at the entrance, which was still pretty clear so early in the night, and walked up to the bouncer, he leaned forward and whispered something in the man's ear, nodding to Thomas, who was standing with his hip cocked and a hand on it haughtily, daring the man to say anything about his age.
The bouncer frowned before nodding and letting them both in, Thomas looking at his companion with a raised eyebrow.
"This is a gay club."
"Yes." Sampson looked at the blonde with an amused look. "And? Shinjuku is a mostly gay district."
"I'm not even eighteen."
Sampson stopped and pulled Thomas back slightly against his side as a R&B song with a heavy bass line began to play.
"I told him you had graduated college, he didn't ask an age."
"Guilty by omission." Thomas murmured as the much older man placed large hands on his slender hips, moving so that they were chest to chest.
"Guilty of a lot of things." Sampson whispered, his hand sliding down Thomas' thigh before returning to his hips, guiding him through the rhythm. Thomas tilted his head back and raised his arms over his head, allowing his date to move his hips while his upper body found the rhythm of the music as well.
After a while he began to move on his own, his body pulsing and moving with the music, his lithe body dancing around and with Sampson's own much larger form. Slender hands slid up the dark-haired man's chest to his shoulders before fanning out and sliding down his arms to his forearms, feeling the thick muscles beneath the clothing. He wanted to feel more, he had touched and he didn't think he could stop now that he started.
The brown leather jacket was soon being shoved down, stopped by Sampson's elbows as the older man watched Thomas with amusement, the young man squeezing and palming his upper arms and abdomen, smoothing his hands over his broad chest before feathering down his sides, all the while keeping to the beat of the song.
Thomas was suddenly pulling the older man down, tracing his sharp facial features and combing long fingers through short hair. Sampson found the air suddenly lacking, the young boy's hot breath suffocating him deliciously as their bodies moved together.
The song ended and Thomas blinked, blue eyes widening and face heating in embarrassment as he pulled away.
"Do you want a drink?" Sampson asked, leading his partner off the dance floor to one of the smaller booths nearby.
"A water, please." Thomas shyly murmured and Sampson nodded, determined to get himself a strong alcoholic beverage so that he at least had an excuse to allow his sanity temporary leave.
Thomas placed his hands against the cool table before pressing them against his face, trying to stop the incessant burning in his cheeks. He had never danced like that before. Everything he had known dancing to be had been stiff, rigid conformity with reasonable boundaries set and maintained, steps that could be memorized and recited easily. What he had done with his commander – with Sampson, damnit! – had not been dancing as he knew it. It was something far more intimate that he was finding to be dangerous.
"Hey there, sweetness." A man sidled up to Thomas, his breath reeking of alcohol and his eyes half lidded as he looked down at Thomas, gaze travelling down his body before making the trip back up to his face. "Nice legs, when do they open."
"Never." A deep voice stated from behind the man and Thomas looked up to see a very pissed looking Sampson looming over the man. Even in civilian clothes he managed to command obedience in others. The man shrunk visibly.
"Says who, old man?"
"Says me, now move before I decide to call security."
"Make me." The man spat and Sampson had moved before the last word left his mouth. Thomas wasn't quite sure what his superior did to the other man. But the next thing he knew was Sampson sitting next to him with his arm along the back of the booth, glaring at the other club patrons as he nursed a beer, a glass of water in Thomas' own hands.
"What just happened?" Thomas asked no one in particular and Sampson smirked.
"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." He murmured and Thomas blinked at him before smiling.
"You told a joke."
"I'm allowed to."
"I just wasn't sure if you were able to." Thomas murmured and Sampson leaned over, ghosting his mouth over the blonde's ear.
"Don't make me hurt you."
"As if you could hurt someone like me." Thomas playfully scoffed, flicking his bangs from his face in a flirtatious manner. He was suddenly very aware of how close the older man was and how warm his frame seemed to be. He didn't expect the sharp nip to his ear and gasped at the sudden sensation, turning to look at his companion, who was wearing a smug expression. He looked like the cat that ate the canary.
"You bit me!"
"It was a love bite." Sampson nuzzled Thomas' ear and jaw affectionately and the blonde stared at him.
"You're drunk."
"It's only one beer, and I can hold my alcohol."
"Wouldn't have pinned you as the affectionate type."
"In our line of work there are many things we have to hide." Sampson whispered and Thomas could hear the regret. He paused before turning and tracing the larger man's jaw with his fingertips before wrapping his hand around his thick neck, pulling him down to a soft kiss.