A/N: The side stories all take place during the time frame of the main story, and I realized some of the characterizations seem a bit off unless you know what time they take place. This one takes place near the beginning of the second chapter.
There was always the possibility that he had drunk too much; however, what he had consumed up until this point was not out of the ordinary for him. It might have been that his gig had gone (fairly) well that night and his companion was much more normal than usual. Whatever the reason, Giovanni felt almost companionable towards Pegasus tonight. They had both fulfilled the other's wishes in their training and were just relaxing at the bar, taking their time with their drinks. Giovanni felt unusually talkative. He wasn't exactly a quiet man by nature, but while he communicated with Pegasus he rarely talked with him. If Pegasus was surprised at suddenly being addressed as a human being he showed no signs of it; he rolled with the punches very well for being a stuffed shirt and didn't complain about Giovanni's methods. Giovanni took another drink. Yes, those traits could be called admirable, if he was ever going to start complimenting men.
"It's a quiet night," Giovanni said, looking over the mostly empty bar.
Pegasus nodded.
"What do you do on nights like these when we're not mutually degrading each other?"
Pegasus seemed to think. "It depends, really. Listen to music, or I watch cartoons. Occasionally I paint…"
"Cartoons? What are you, six?"
"It's no worse than the hobbies you engage in to relax," he retorted with an eye roll. "It's a carefree hobby that I enjoy. And I won't elaborate any further."
Giovanni decided to leave the poor man his delusions and didn't press the subject. He scanned the empty room again and let out a yawn without noticing.
"Is is really so bad?" asked Pegasus.
"Is what so bad?"
"Well, that yawn seems to say volumes about what you think of your present company; or lack thereof."
Giovanni turned to face him, "Listen, I'm just tired. I'm not a total lowlife."
"I could suggest several reasons for your exhaustion and how to avoid the she-devils. Mustn't miss out on your beauty sleep, Gio."
He growled, "That's the problem. I haven't had a woman in…a long time."
"What is that for you? Twenty-four hours?"
"Shut it. I know you've got some weird complex, but I need it to sleep well. If I don't have a girl for awhile I get…messed-up dreams and I can't get any sleep. That's my relaxation."
"Have you tried a hot shower? Or maybe a cold one?"
He got a hard stare in response.
"There are also these interesting establishments called 'massage parlors' in the common vernacular…"
"Paying is for wimps who have no other choice. Always remember that."
"There's also—"
"Doing it alone falls in the same category as paying."
"That's just vulgar. I was going to suggest hot milk."
Giovanni gave him such a look of utter contempt that Pegasus had to laugh at him.
"Just joking, my friend. Do you like jazz?"
He shrugged. "As much as anyone else."
"What about the blues?"
"More-so."
"Well, I happen to have several collections of both genres, a sound system and a large quantity of alcohol at my home. Maybe that could be a way to relax."
Giovanni glanced around the still empty room.
"Of course, at my home there would be no chance whatsoever of someone walking in that might help you to relax…"
Giovanni finished the rest of his drink. "You're serious about going out of your way like this to help me?"
Pegasus smiled. "Quite serious, Gio. As long as this goes on, I'll always be with you."
"I'll try not to read too much into that statement," Giovanni answered back, punching Pegasus in the arm lightly. Yes, he'd definitely had too much to drink.
"Let's go your place then. Might as well make use of you since I'm stuck with you."
And they both exited the building, laughing.
Giovanni woke up to black and a feeling of disorientation. He groped through the darkness, feeling around until he came upon something soft and curvy and his fear subsided.
He wasn't sure what was worse about the dream: That somehow he had lost his touch or the genuine amicability he had felt towards Pegasus in it. He shuddered at the memory of the fading terror.
It probably would've ended with us making out, the way it was going, he thought to himself.
In his mind, that was not over-dramatization.
He pulled his companion over to himself, pleased to find she was ready to meet his demands.
After a dream like that, he deserved some sort of compensation.