Author's Note: This began as a collaborative work, but the co-author has since discontinued work on this piece. The characters will be markedly different than they were previously as this project is now mine alone.
The collaborative work had been four chapters in length, but I have deleted all but the first chapter (as that was my work alone). The work henceforth will be mine. Feedback will be appreciated.
Thank you.
The author claims no ownership to the characters, settings, or events from the television series Glee.
Approximate words this chapter: 13,000
"This is the most people I've ever seen at the White Box, and it's still pretty early in the evening," Dave remarked, expression nearly awed, as he entered the club. "There's even people hanging outside. I don't think I've seen that here before."
Scoop was working the door at the moment, beaming an almost devious smile at Dave, jubilant at the turnout. "That's because everyone wants to see the new Omnivore. They were out of commission for a month, there were rumors that they might be done, but they're back. And they have a new bassist with a history. And the people are here to see and hear if it's gonna be great, but they know it's gonna be great, because they know." Scoop nodded his head, smug and reassuring at the last.
Dave shook his head and snickered. "Scoop, that didn't really make any sense, but I liked it. It's cool to see you so psyched about this." Dave swiveled his head, taking in the quickly-filling club, and spoke again. "Are you working the door all night? Is that why you had to leave the apartment before me?"
"Nah," Scoop answered, loud over the noisy din, equally loud conversations mixed with the sound coming from the jukebox. "I left early just to make sure everything was going to go off without a hitch. It was kinda like jumping through hoops to promote the show on such short notice, and the club was being really cool about it. I just wanted to make sure I was doing everything I could to make sure it went smoothly. And, no, Joel will be back to work the door in a few. He went off to use the restroom and get himself a drink. Should be back shortly." Scoop craned his head around toward the bar. "In fact, here he is now."
Joel, the stocky, bearded older man who co-owned the club, relieved Scoop of his place at the cash-box, and Scoop and Dave filtered into the room, growing more crowded by the minute. The two approached the bar but found themselves needing to wait behind several people before they could be served.
"I'm noticing more, like, older people than usual here tonight," Dave spoke, almost self-consciously, to Scoop.
Scoop snickered. "Yeah, well, Omnivore now have cred with the older crowd: one of the Boom-girls is in the band, and she has ties to Toxic Idea who are legends around here. I mean, the band already had cred with some of the old-scene, but this makes them kinda more for real."
"Dave!"
Dave and Scoop spun around collectively to see Buke and Jack, quickly approaching the two of them. On their arrival, Jack was throwing playful punches at Dave's shoulders and Buke threw a brisk hug around Dave. The actions brought forth a sound from Dave that was part-laughter, part-growl, and entirely-mirth.
"Hey, I'll grab you a beer when I get to the bar so you don't have to stand in line," Scoop offered, "Looks like you have some people who want to say hello."
"Thanks," Dave forced out through a laugh over his shoulder before addressing Jack and Buke. "You guys appear to be in a good mood already."
"Yeah, and we're not even drunk or blazed yet," Buke proclaimed, sounding almost proud.
"Hells, yes," Jack added. "We're back to hanging with our friends the way we should be, Omnivore is back, you're here, once again, like you should be, and all is right with the world, even if only for tonight."
Dave smiled, warmed by the greeting, but his face wrinkled a confusion at the last. "Only for tonight? What's that mean?"
"Pay him no mind," Buke dismissed. "Jack's on some philosophical bent right now. It'll go away when we start toking up."
"Yeah, man, don't pay any attention to me," Jack seconded, "just being goofy."
"I got 'im," Dave heard as someone's arms wrapped around him from the back. Dave swiveled his neck to see Zack behind him, giving him a rowdy hug, with Tony, Meghan, and Chelsea nearby and visibly jovial.
"Hey, Zack," Dave spoke through a surprised smile, "Tony, Meghan, Chelsea, good to see you all."
Zack's grip on Dave loosened as he replied. "Awesome to see you, Dave. You're here, and we're all complete again."
Tony reached out and patted Dave's shoulder as Chelsea reached upward, giving Dave a hug and kissing his cheek.
"Here's your brew," Scoop announced, drawing Dave's attention from Chelsea by dangling a beer-bottle in front of his eyes. Chelsea resigned her hold on Dave as he took the bottle into his hand and the crowd backed away, dispersing into two smaller groups which remained in close proximity.
"Thanks, Scoop," Dave nodded as he lifted the bottle to his mouth.
"Everything cool?" Scoop asked, an expression which seemed to say that he already knew the answer and that everything was, in fact, good.
Dave nodded again. "Everything's cool. It's like, everyone's being super-nice to me."
"Dude, they missed you; you've been MIA for over a month," Scoop assured. "They're your friends, and, in the end, they'll get over any weirdness."
"Gotcha," Dave smirked.
"I gotta run and talk to the guy from the opening band for a minute," Scoop said. "Gotta make sure this is going to start on time."
"No problem," Dave answered. "I'll be here."
Dave stood for a moment after Scoop walked in the direction of the soundboard where he saw Ronk and Shelly already standing. Ronk was talking with the man behind the soundboard, likely someone from the opening band, when Dave felt a tap on his shoulder.
Dave turned to see Robbie standing behind him.
"Hey, Dave, how's it going?"
"Going okay," Dave answered, unsure, but making his expression approachable.
"Cool," Robbie nodded, facing downward for a moment before speaking again. "Hey, uh, good to see you, man."
Dave summoned a smile. "Good to see you too."
"Yeah, um, I wanna say that I'm sorry if I've been kinda weird lately."
"We haven't seen each other," Dave remarked, "you haven't been anything."
"Yeah, I know, well, like, the last time, at that dinner thing at your and Scoop's place? I really wasn't sure how to react."
Dave's eyes addressed Robbie's, an expression which called for elaboration.
"Um, it just kinda hit me outta the blue or something," Robbie expanded. "I guess when things don't fit with my perceptions or assumptions, I can get kinda weird. Sorry about that. I know you're the same Dave you always were."
"It's cool," Dave nodded, expression remaining guarded for a moment before he broke a slight smirk. "Would your reaction have been different if I was more, um, colorful, so-to-speak?"
Robbie broke a chuckle. "Yeah, honestly. I have some friends who are kinda flamboyant. I really don't know much about them other than I hang with them and joke around with them. If any of them told me they were, um, gay, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. Knowing that about you kinda messed with my reality."
Dave smiled, crooked, "Maybe it's not such a bad thing to have your perception rocked a little once in a while."
Robbie laughed, full-on for a moment. "Nah. Probably a good thing." Robbie addressed Dave with a smile and reached out, pulling him into a rough, one-armed hug.
"Didn't expect you to hug me, there, Robbie," Dave spoke through a surprised laugh of his own.
"Yeah, well, I never had a problem hugging you before," Robbie smiled, small but genuine as he patted Dave's shoulder. "I shouldn't now, even if it did take me a few weeks to realize that. Good to have you back, Dave."
"Good to have you back, Robbie," Dave smiled as Robbie unlocked and they both raised their bottles, smiled, and nodded to each other.
As Robbie walked away toward the bar, Dave saw Tony standing by himself against the wall. Dave stepped toward him and smiled tentatively.
"Hey, Tony."
"Good to see you, Dave," Tony replied, smiling, warm.
The two raised their beer-bottles and nodded before Tony spoke again, in a slightly-hushed tone.
"Hey, uh, Dave, I'm sorry if I put you on the spot last time at the Tap Room."
Dave shook his head, facing downward. "Naw, no need to apologize."
"But I could tell it made you uncomfortable."
"Yeah, and it shouldn't have," Dave spoke, raising his eyes to meet Tony's. "I mean, if I expect my friends to accept me for everything that I am, I really have no right to be weirded out by anything like what you asked me."
"I didn't take offense," Tony shook his head. "I just got kinda bummed when I realized that what I said maybe made you leave when you did."
"And that's why I kinda feel I was wrong to react like I did," Dave nodded, eyes addressing Tony's with an uncertain expression.
Tony's face broke a grin as he reached and pulled Dave into a hug. "Aw, Dave, love you, man. It's not like one awkward conversation is gonna change that."
Dave chuckled warmly. "Thanks. I have a bunch of amazing friends."
"What's goin' on, guys?" Scoop noisily returned to Dave's side of the room.
"Not much, just hangin'," Tony pronounced, loud. "Hangin' with Dave before I head to the bar for a refill."
"Gotcha," Scoop nodded as Tony gulped his bottle empty and stepped toward the bar.
Scoop took the place against the wall which Tony had been occupying. "Everything cool?"
Dave smiled, chuckled slightly. "Yeah. It's good. It's really good, actually."
Scoop nodded and grinned, giving Dave an exaggerated wink as he did. In the expression, Dave began to think that perhaps Scoop had spoken to his friends about the unspoken tensions between them and Dave since the night Dave had come out to them. Whether this was the case or not, it would remain unspoken as far as Dave was concerned: he had returned to his circle of friends, and it felt like it was where he should be; that it might have taken an amount of diplomacy on Scoop's part was immaterial.
"Hey, guys," Zack, flanked by Jack and Buke, interrupted the quiet moment, "Basketball tomorrow?"
Scoop laughed and rolled his eyes while Dave smiled, feeling more at-ease by the moment. "If you guys can get yourselves outta bed at a reasonable hour tomorrow after playing a show and partying all night tonight, I'm in; and I can guarantee that I can drag Scoop along, regardless of the probability that he could very-well be in no condition to play himself."
"Okay, then, meet you at the courts at six?" Zack asked.
"Better make it seven," Scoop rolled his eyes, an expression betraying the fact that he knew that, after a night like tonight, he might not be out of bed before six.
"Sounds good, gentlemen," Zack voiced as Jack and Buke nodded assent and the three of them departed toward the stage area leaving Scoop and Dave against the wall to take in the continuing influx of people coming through the door.
"It doesn't look like they're gonna stop anytime soon," Dave observed.
"It's a good thing," Scoop opined.
"I dunno, Scoop, the crowd around the bar is so deep, it's almost crowding us against this wall."
It was then when a short, heavy-set man emerged from the bar area and nearly tripped as he freed himself from the tightly-packed patrons gathered around the bar. A tall, thin, athletically-built girl with pixie-styled black hair caught the man and braced him as he juggled his bottle of beer and a mixed drink, admirably preventing either from spilling. Once standing upright again, the man handed the mixed drink to the girl, and raised his head to drink from his bottle. As his face became more visible under the brim of the hat he wore in the low-light of the club, Dave was fairly certain that he recognized the man.
"John?" Dave called from the shadowed area where he stood.
The man jerked his head, scanning the immediate area for the source of the voice.
"John, right in front of you," Dave called again. "It's Dave."
The man centered his vision upon the smiling person in the darkness near the wall.
"Hey," the man approached the area where Dave was standing; the girl remaining at his side.
"What are you doing here?" Dave asked, inquisitive, but not sounding suspicious.
"You told me about this band a long time ago, suggested I check 'em out, so I thought I'd do that."
"How'd you know about the show?" Dave spoke through an interested grin, "It was only announced five days ago."
"C'mon, Dave," John answered with a sarcastic smirk. "There are flyers posted for this show all over the city. I've seen them everywhere. They've been impossible to not see!"
Scoop, having been the person who made and distributed the flyers (and the person who was largely responsible for hanging them), nudged Dave and nodded at him with a smug grin.
"Well, um, John, this is my friend Scoop," Dave motioned toward his side, "Scoop this is John."
"Hey, John, nice to meet you," Scoop extended his hand, offering it to John.
"Nice to meet you as well," John spoke as he shook Scoop's hand, "and this is my friend, Katie."
Katie smiled and nodded, shaking Dave's hand and then Scoop's. "Nice to meet you!"
The quickness with which Katie's eyes locked with Scoop's was almost disturbing.
"Um, this is kind-of a huge crowd," John remarked, noticing the invisible bond of mutual hypnosis at work between Katie and Scoop.
"Yeah, I expected a decent crowd, but I didn't expect all this exactly," Dave replied, taking in the room.
"Y'know, there were some empty tables toward the back of the place," John commented, eyes fixed on the trance-like state which seemed to have overtaken Katie's face, "we were actually gonna grab a table after we got our drinks."
"That's a pretty good idea," Dave agreed. "What do you say to that, Scoop?"
Scoop remained silent.
"Scoop?" Dave repeated.
"Katie?" John spoke to his friend, "We were gonna get a table, right?"
"What?" Katie started as if being awakened suddenly, "Why are you shouting?"
"Um, I wasn't shouting," John spoke. "It's loud in here. We were gonna get a table. Right?"
"Yeah, that's right!" Katie spat, still sounding stunned awake, "A table!"
"And Dave and Scoop are joining us?" John spoke, somewhat more gingerly to the obviously excitable Katie.
"Sure. Dave and Scoop are sitting with us."
"Um, actually," Scoop began, also sounding like he'd been shaken, "I was gonna go feed the jukebox."
"Well, we can go get a table, and you can meet us there after you hit the jukebox," Dave offered, slightly bemused by Scoop's and Katie's interrupted joint-trance-state.
"I'll go with Scoop to check out the jukebox," Katie volunteered, "You guys get a table, and we'll meet you there."
"Sounds good," Dave spoke as Scoop and Katie stepped away, nearly skipping in the crowded space, the pair seeming completely oblivious to everything except themselves and each other.
John shook his head and navigated in the direction of the entryway. There was an unoccupied four-person table in the corner opposite the door. It was situated beneath a hanging light fixture and one of the jukebox speakers.
"This'll work," Dave remarked as he and John sat opposite each other at the table, "and Scoop will be glad that he'll be able to hear the songs he's playing without interference."
John creased his brow in an almost sarcastically-joking expression. "I think Katie and Scoop have eyes for each other."
"You think?" Dave responded with wise-ass snark and a devious grin as he seated himself at the table.
In the brighter light, Dave was able to better see John. John was dressed in a dark-blue T-shirt, loose-fitting jeans, a black leather motorcycle jacket, and a black cloth cadet cap; his beard was neatly-trimmed. "You look good tonight, John. The leather jacket suits you."
"Thanks," John smiled at the compliment. "I borrowed the jacket from my roommate Gene. I told him I was going to see a rock band at a bar, and he tossed it at me. Said it was essential."
"I dunno if it's essential, exactly," Dave answered, smiling and relaxed. "I don't own one, but, then, I wouldn't be attending so many of these shows if Scoop didn't manage a band. Scoop doesn't own one either."
"Yeah, but you're dressed kinda all-purpose," John replied, noting Dave's light-blue long-sleeved shirt with its sleeves rolled up, worn open over a plain black T-shirt and jeans. "And you look good like you always do."
"Thanks." Dave smirked as he twisted in his seat and craned his head in the direction of the jukebox to see that Scoop and Katie appeared to be rapt in viewing the selections. "Wonder how long Scoop will need to make his selections."
"When Katie hits a jukebox, she acts like the fate of the world depends upon what she plays," John offered. "Scoop anything like that?"
"Yeah, pretty-much," Dave said as he turned forward to face John again. "Either they're collaborating and they're gonna be up there all night deliberating on what to play or they can't agree on anything and it's gonna be a sudden-death jukebox face-off."
John laughed: it was a funny enough comment, but it was made funnier by Dave's deadpan delivery. "You ever feed the jukebox?"
"Nah," Dave answered. "I let my friends do that. Honestly, most of the stuff I listen to sounds exactly the same as most of the stuff they like, except that the stuff I like gets fairly popular and the stuff they like remains obscure. It's almost like a contest to see who can dig up the more obscure band."
John snickered again. "I know people like that, and the description you just gave is painfully accurate. And funny!"
Dave smiled back at John as the two of them noticed a striking couple walking in through the door into the club, stopping for a moment at the desk where Joel was working, and being waved on into the bar area. There was a woman with a mane of wild, dreadlocked hair and heavily-tattooed arms. She appeared athletic, lean and strong, having the build of a martial-arts practitioner; she was wearing a cut-off military shirt and tight camouflage pants which were cut off into shorts. The overall look was completed with long, lace-up combat-style boots which rose almost to her knees. Her expression was intimidating. The man behind her was perhaps not as unconventional in appearance but no less striking: he wore a formal leather jacket over a wildly-embellished western-style shirt, tight jeans, and Cuban-heeled demi-boots; his hair was a slick, black rockabilly 1950s-style complemented with a well-trimmed beatnik-style van-dyke beard. The man carried a musical-instrument case, and the couple shuffled through the crowd attempting to make their way toward the stage area. They didn't get far before they were stopped by an enthusiastic Scoop and ushered, Katie in tow, to the table where Dave and John sat.
"Hey, Dave, John," Scoop began, "I'd like you to meet Deena and Earl: Deena is Omnivore's new bassist extraordinaire, and Earl is her husband."
At this, the woman's visage shifted from tough to friendly as she reached out to shake Dave's hand, then John's. Earl, his hands full, simply nodded and smiled pleasantly. Scoop rattled off quick instructions to where the band was storing their gear until showtime, and Deena and Earl headed in that direction.
Scoop took a seat at the table next to Dave, and Katie sat next to John, opposite Scoop.
"Dude, the new bass-player is completely wild-looking," Dave spoke, almost hushed, to Scoop.
"I know!" Scoop proclaimed, sounding proud of the band's new member. "I told you, man, she's hot and tough. Wait until you hear her play."
"You two were at the jukebox for a pretty long time," John noted, sounding like a teacher observing a student's questionable study habits. "Did you guys buy, like, fifty songs or something?"
"No, we were just talking about the music we're both into, and it was incredible how similar our tastes are," Katie announced, "we both like all the same bands!"
"Yeah, but we debated at length which songs to play by those bands," Scoop spoke, completing Katie's statement as both giggled to each other.
Dave's eyes found John's from across the table; it was obvious that they were both amused by the actions of their present company.
"So, what are you drinking?" Scoop asked Katie.
"Gin and tonic," She answered quickly. "It's my thing. Either that or wine. Not really a beer-gal here."
Scoop nodded. "Getting kinda low there. You ready for another?"
"Yeah, I think I am," She raised the glass and downed the remainder of her drink.
"Cool," Scoop stood to get in line for the bar. "Anyone else need a refill?"
"No, I'm good," Dave replied while John shook his head.
"You sure?" Scoop offered again, "I'm buying."
"Nah, barely into my first beer here," Dave lifted his bottle as if showing proof of his statement.
"I'll go with you," Katie sprang from her seat and nearly skipped after Scoop in the direction of the bar.
"That accelerated quickly," John spoke, shaking his head and smirking in an expression of disbelief.
"Yeah," Dave smiled though his reply sounded somewhat nervous. "Scoop has a tendency to kill his potential girlfriends with kindness. I've never known him to have a steady girlfriend for more than a couple of months, but he's better at dealing with it when it's over, better than he used to be, at least."
"I've never seen Katie go for a guy this quickly before," John offered. "She's usually all tough and hard-to-get."
"I've seen Scoop fall hard and fast before," Dave told, "in fact, that's his normal thing."
"The music's kinda spacey right now," John noted, eyeing in the direction of the speaker above the table. "You think that's what Scoop and Katie picked?"
"Probably not. Scoop likes loud older rock that I never heard before I met him, or loud current music that sounds like loud older rock that I'd have never heard if I didn't know him." Dave lifted his bottle and swallowed another gulp of beer. "You'll know it when his songs come on, like loud, catchy, rock, mostly loud. What kinda stuff does Katie like?"
"Um, poppy rock, power-pop, that kinda stuff. She has good taste. If her and Scoop say they like the same bands, it's probably the poppier side of the bands he likes." John paused for a moment before speaking again. "So, before you said that you like music that sounds like the stuff that your friends like, but it's different from the stuff that your friends like. What exactly do you like?"
"Um, mostly like popular hard rock," Dave explained. "It's kinda rare that I go crazy for any one band. My ipod has stuff like Metallica, Green Day, Foo Fighters, G-N-R, stuff like that. I kinda dug the White Stripes. That's about as close as my personal tastes get to Scoop's and the other guys I hang with. How about you?"
"I have this affection for melodramatic power-ballads and, yeah, typical diva-music," John offered, almost sounding like he was busted doing something wrong. "There's the show-tuney stuff that I like as well, but, honestly, I can listen to just about anything."
"Yeah, me too, but I'm not too big on heavy, thumpy club music."
"I don't dig much of that either unless I'm just in the mood to drink and dance," John confessed.
"Well, personally, I'm not much for dancing myself," Dave admitted, quietly. "Never thought I'd be very good at it, so actually dancing at a dance-club is kinda out for me. About as close as I get to dancing is what's gonna happen later tonight when the band plays."
"And what would that be?" John asked, interest piqued suddenly.
"Uh, I'll be standing near the front," Dave explained. "It could be pretty crowded, people bouncing around a little. It's kinda aggressive, but not, like, all-out slamming or moshing or anything."
"I've never been at a show where there's been moshing."
"There might be some diving and moshing, but probably not a whole lot," Dave guessed. "I'm the kinda guy who usually stands around the sides and helps people get back up when they fall, or the guy who makes sure the stagedivers get caught by someone."
"It sounds kinda dangerous."
"It's actually kinda fun, I mean, if the crowd is cool, nobody gets hurt usually." Dave raised his bottle for another drink before saying, "But, like I said, stuff like that is kinda rare at an Omnivore show."
Their arrival prefaced by the sound of Katie's giggling, Scoop and Katie returned from the bar. Scoop placed a fresh beer in front of Dave, and Katie similarly placed one before John.
"Um, Scoop, I told you I didn't want another beer yet," Dave smirked affected irritation.
"Dude, the bar is so crowded that when you do want one it will take you forever to get it," Scoop explained. "This way, you're ahead of the game."
Dave shook his head while John laughed. "Your logic is most admirable," John gestured a mock-salute in Scoop's direction while Scoop bowed in mock-acceptance.
A server appeared at the table and placed a small tray holding four shot-glasses in the center of the table. "These were sent over here by the members of Omnivore," the server stated as Dave and Scoop turned around toward the bar and saw Zack, Tony, Robbie, Deena, and Earl waving in their direction.
"I did not plan on getting trashed tonight," Dave rolled his eyes as he shook his head.
"Dude, it's early," Scoop reminded. "One shot and two beers aren't gonna make you drunk, and you're not leaving any time soon anyway."
"I guess we're all doing shots right now," John stated the obvious as each of them picked up the nearest glass and downed the amber-colored liquor.
The four of them sat still for a moment, none wanting to react visibly. Dave smirked as he detected John's face flushing red about ten seconds after drinking the shot as a burst of loud guitar blasted through the speaker above the table causing Scoop to bolt to his feet.
"Ah, this is one of Scoop's jukebox songs," Dave smiled and nodded in John's direction.
"Hells yes, it is," Scoop confirmed as he moved jerkily to the music and Katie joined him.
"I'm a street-walkin' cheetah with a heart full o' napalm," Scoop yelled along to the music, "I'm a runaway son of the nuclear A-bomb!"
"Oh, you are not," Katie answered him, playfully putting her hand to his mouth to silence him.
Dave giggled and shook his head at Scoop's shameless display; John was being entertained by it as well.
"Is he always like this?" John asked. "I mean this isn't much different than the time I saw him at the Tardis Bar."
Dave grinned, "Yeah, but, you gotta admit, it looks a lot better when his audience is as receptive as Katie is."
John nodded. "This is true. And this song is a lot louder than anything we heard before tonight." With that, John grimaced and shot his gaze in the direction of the overhead speaker.
Dave bounced his head. "Scoop probably asked the people at the bar to turn up the jukebox."
The next song shifted from the explosive rock they'd previously heard to a song with horns, bells, and a laid-back dance beat; it was Katie's turn to sing along with the song's dreamy, seductive opening while her snaky body moved subtly to the beat.
"Toe to toe, dan-cing ver-y close, barely brea-thing, almost comatose."
Scoop was seated, attention rapt in Katie who was standing, moving, and singing to him. Dave and John looked on with some amazement in that the exhibition before them was approaching lapdance territory.
"Wall to wall, people hyp-no-tized, and they're step-ping light-ly, hang each night in... Ra-a-pture."
"Is this gonna be a really good thing or a really bad thing?" John asked, hushed, almost whispering, to Dave as their eyes remained fixed on Scoop and Katie.
"Too early to tell," Dave answered at a conversational volume. "I don't think you need to whisper. I doubt they can hear us."
Dave and John turned to face each other; Dave raised an eyebrow and smiled, and they both broke into quiet laughter.
No further words were spoken until Katie coaxed Scoop to his feet, joining her to dance in the shrinking, unoccupied space near the table.
"Well, he looks a lot sexier now than he did before," John observed.
"Just more comfortable," Dave added, "and properly inspired, maybe."
The dancy song ended, replaced by a guitar-fueled rock song; Scoop and Katie began jumping and clapping in unison like two excited school children. When the vocals began, they sang the song to each other and moved further away from the table, nearly absorbed into the crowd.
"I want you to want me, I need you to need me, I'd love you to love me, I'm beggin' you to beg me..."
Dave and John turned to face each other, smiling and shaking their heads as the song seemed to roar from above them.
"I'll shine up my old brown shoes, put on a bran-new shirt, get home early from work, if you say that you love me..."
Dave leaned back in his seat and finished his first beer. When his eyes rose to John's face, John was staring into the crowd around the bar, unconsciously mouthing the words to the song.
"Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you crying? Feelin' all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dying..."
John's gaze shifted to meet Dave's eyes, and he stopped silently singing, suddenly self-conscious, smiled, and blushed, facing downward into the table.
"You don't hafta act so busted," Dave spoke. "It's kinda cool that you can sing or even pretend to sing in public. I've always been too shy about that kinda stuff to let anyone see me do anything like that."
"Really?" John asked. "Never sang or even pretended to sing where anyone could see you? No singing in the shower?"
Dave snickered, almost embarrassed. "No. Nothing like that. Only times I did stuff like that was when I was kinda forced to, like part of a group in school or something. If there ever was a performer-aspect to me, it's never been developed or acted upon."
"You used to play sports, right? It's kinda the same thing."
"I never felt like it was. I actually had a teacher tell me I was talented at one point. I was a junior in high school at the time. I felt that it was kinda too late to develop that part of me anyway. And I stupidly felt like I was too cool for it at the time."
"It's never too late," John offered.
"Yeah, but it's nothing I think about at this point."
"Feelin' all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dyin', Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you crying?"
The sound from the jukebox ended abruptly, and the lights dimmed. Dave and John craned their heads around as people moved from the bar area toward the stage at the opposite end.
"First band's going on," Dave spoke, loud and clear over the confusing din.
"Who's the first band?" John asked as both he and Dave stood, beers in hand, and moved closer to the stage area.
"Das Verbotene Fünf. I've seen them before. They're pretty cool. Surf-rock, horror-themed band."
"I dunno," John smiled, skeptical, "for a guy who claims to not know much about the music scene, that was a pretty specific description."
Dave laughed. "I'm just quoting Scoop verbatim, pretty-much. There's something to be said for the contact-buzz you pick up living with a guy who's really into this stuff."
Dave and John were standing a fair distance from the stage when the band crashed into the opening chords to their first song. It was, as Dave's description implied, uptempo, catchy surf-rock; song titles like "Chop You Up" and "Kill, Baby, Kill" aside, it was hard to resist their bouncy sound.
"So, I guess they've played with Omnivore before?" John asked, actually shouted at Dave over the music.
"Yeah, a couple of times," Dave answered with equal clamor, "And they were pretty-much available to play at a moment's notice for this show."
John nodded understanding, quickly at first, until the repetitive action of his head found the beat of the current song. The crowd was receptive, enthusiastic, occasionally dancing wildly to the band, with the singer, a chubby, long-haired man, encouraging the rowdy behavior.
A few songs into the set, Dave nudged John with his elbow and pointed to one side of the stage where Scoop and Katie were dancing to the music, arms around each other and close, Katie turning occasionally, her back to Scoop's front, then around again, face-to-face.
John shook his head and smiled, "Who'd have thought?"
"Who can figure out attraction?" Dave posed hypothetically. "Certainly I can't, but it's kinda cool to see Scoop all happy."
"Delirious is more like it," John supposed, "and, yeah, I don't think I've ever seen Katie so taken with a guy so quickly."
A few more songs, and the short set ended. The lights came up and the people who were packed close to the stage filtered outward toward the bar area though a few remained near the the stage to shake hands with the band.
"You need another beer?" Dave asked John as people began to crowd around the bar again.
"No, I'm doing okay," John answered, lifting his bottle, "just barely started in on this one."
"I'm gonna move closer to the stage," Dave said. "It's more fun up there. You're coming with me, right?"
"How crazy do you think it's gonna get when your friends play?" John asked, cautionary.
Dave smirked, dismissive. "C'mon, you're a big boy. You're not gonna get hurt. Besides, I'll be standing right next to you, so if it gets too rowdy, I'll pull you out to the back. But that's not gonna happen."
"Okay, I'm in," John spoke nodding and smiling, slight. "Lead the way."
The two walked to within a few feet of the stage. Katie joined them as Scoop was attending to helping Omnivore set up for their set.
"Having a good time?" Dave asked Katie.
"Yeah," she spoke immediately but also instantly distracted as she caught sight of Scoop traversing the stage, a tangle of cables in his hands. As Scoop disappeared behind the PA cabinets at the far side of the stage, Katie's attention returned to Dave and John. "Are you guys having a good time?"
"Yeah," John spat out, almost too quickly as Dave nodded casually. "Did you like the first band?"
Katie seemed dazed for a moment before answering. "They were good. I think my mind was elsewhere, though."
Dave chuckled a quiet belly-laugh as John smiled, somewhat confused.
As the members of Omnivore set up their equipment and prepared for their set, Dave introduced them quickly to John and Katie.
"Are you guys gonna kick ass tonight?" John asked Zack as he checked his pedalboard.
Gawd, that sounded like a total novice coming out of John's mouth, Dave thought to himself, but there was something oddly endearing about it, just the same.
"Yes," Zack answered John, matter-of-fact, "yes we are."
The lights dimmed and Scoop approached the microphone.
"Hey, I wanna thank everybody for coming out tonight, on behalf of Omnivore. Give it up for Das Verbotene Fünf and the great set they played on such short notice."
Scoop clapped along with the crowd who added some rowdy shouts to the ovation.
"He is kinda sexy when he's on stage," John whispered, side-mouthed, to Dave, trying to shield his words from Katie who was too rapt in Scoop to hear them anyway.
"See?" Dave spoke, cocky, slightly arrogant, "And you were so quick to dismiss him from what you saw at the Tardis Bar."
John rolled his eyes and nodded, playfully defeated by the point.
"You know, though," Dave continued, "I've seen that happen with other people, you put them on a stage and they're suddenly hot and confident."
John puzzled over Dave's words for a moment until his thought was derailed by Scoop speaking once again from the stage.
"So, hey, for the past few weeks, some people thought that this band might have been done. I think it's gonna take you all of thirty seconds to decide for yourselves that they're far from done. So, here they are, I give you, the return of Omnivore!"
With that Scoop ran to one side of the stage and crouched downward as the drummer pounded out a four-count on his snare drum and the band launched into a fast blues-rock song. It was immediately catchy though Zack's words, strong and rough as his voice was, were indecipherable through the PA and amplification. The crowd reacted immediately, dancing wildly, sometimes aggressively. John was taken aback at first until it became apparent that the actions, aggressive as they were, were not violent or intent on causing injury. He felt himself inclined to dance as well, timidly at first.
At the first chorus of the opening song, Scoop took a running-leap from his position at the side of the stage and landed on the packed crowd, being caught primarily by Dave who chuckled upon impact. Once lowered to his feet, Scoop took his place beside Katie and began dancing with her and the rest of the crowd. John tugged at Dave's shirt to get his attention. Dave bent forward to John's level as John shouted into Dave's ear.
"Scoop's kinda crazy."
"You mean him jumping off the stage?" Dave replied. "Nah, he was aiming for me, and I've seen it so many times that I expected it. Just having fun, that's all."
John smiled, satisfied in the answer as the band blazed into their second song.
"They're good," John commented to Dave. "They sound like AC/DC on speed or something."
Dave nodded. "Glad you like 'em. I try not to analyze too much, though. I just come to the shows and have fun."
At about mid-set, the band played a slow but no-less audacious punk-love song with a duet vocal in which Zack and Deena traded lines: it was at once sweet and hard, and such a song would have been impossible if Chuck had still been in the band. The song found Scoop and Katie dancing close, once again; and the audience didn't wait until the song was finished to roar their approval.
The band launched into a string of uptempo songs, and the crowd reacted accordingly. John had shed his inhibitions (as well as his leather jacket) as the crowd pushed tighter, but not uncomfortably so, toward the stage. John bounced and swiveled to the beat, his shoulder rubbing against Dave's chest, mingling their sweat together through their T-shirts. Dave could feel the heat, nearly steam, rising from John; he could smell fresh sweat. The cloth of John's cap was also wet as trails of perspiration drained downward into the neckband of John's T-shirt.
Omnivore hit a high level of energy which seemed like the end of the set, but the lights remained dimmed and the crowd stayed close to the stage. Scoop left Katie so he could attend to the band, saying that he'd regroup with her soon after. Though the band had left the stage, save for Tony who remained behind the drum kit, the audience did not move. There were stray shouts coming from the crowd, perhaps beckoning the band to return.
John's face puzzled. "What are they saying?"
"Huh?"
"The people in the crowd. Are they calling for the band to play more? It sounds like they're saying 'Rosie'."
Dave nodded and smirked. "It's kinda like a signature thing they do. They encore with an old AC/DC song called 'Whole Lotta Rosie'. The crowd obviously wants to hear it."
Abruptly roaring from the stage was the sound of a quick, repetitive pattern, three chords repeated seven times separated by four beats on the hi-hat: the crowd was getting what it asked for. Zack's voice joined in between the repeated chord pattern.
"Wanna tell you a story...'bout someone I know...When it comes to lovin'... Ooh, they steal the show... Ain't exactly pretty... Ain't exactly small... Forty-two, thirty-nine, fifty-six, you could say they got it aaaaaaaall!"
The crowd erupted into frenzied movement as the song-proper began. John broke into laughter as he was playfully jostled by the audience, pushed more closely into Dave and nearly forced to move to the beat.
"Never had nobody, never had no one like you... Doin' all the things, doing all the things that you do... Ain't no fairy story, ain't no skin-and-bone, When you give it all you got, weighing in a nineteen-stone..."
The friction of John's movement against him and the bawdy, sexy noise sent Dave's urges pulsing. The audience, John included, joined in, shouting the song's chorus:
"I got a whole lotta Ro-sie, a whole lotta Ro-sie, a whole lotta Ro-sie..."
Dave sprang into action, pushing himself and John away from the stage and over to one side, a darkened, unpopulated area behind the sound system. Dave nudged John until his back was against the huge speaker cabinet; the two addressed each other's eyes. Dave leapt against John, their lips met: warm, sweaty, slightly sloppy but welcomed by both parties. Dave pushed John's back firm against the cabinet and the force of the amplified music sent vibrations through both of them as the band continued to play.
"Give it to me, honey, give it to me all night long... Only one that turns, only one that turns me on..."
Dave's lips had moved downward to the moist skin at John's neck as John threw his head back, rattled and buzzed by the tremor of the PA cabinet.
"All through the night time, and right around the clock, Whoa! To my surprise, Rosie never stops..."
Dave pulled away to take in John's face; John's eyes had rolled back under their lids, but they rolled forward as he unextended his neck to face Dave.
"Let's get outta here," Dave spoke, urgent. "Let's go back to my place."
"Now?"
"Right now."
"Lemme tell Katie what's up," John collected himself, an involuntary smile forming on his face.
"Fine, meet me by the door, and don't take too long."
John hurriedly flagged down Katie on his way toward the exit door, regrouping with Dave and walking outside together.
The ride to Dave's apartment was set to nameless late-night music on a local radio station and punctuated by sideways glances from driver to rider and rider to driver. Dave's hand touched John's thigh, just above the knee: first a caress, then a firmer touch. Dave reached in the darkness for John's hand and eventually found it, rolling it gently in his until John involuntarily squeezed. Dave glanced over to him to see John's eyes closed, an almost swooning expression on his face which morphed into a smile in the span of about ten seconds.
Upon arrival and through the door of the apartment, Dave wrapped his arms loosely around John, just tight enough to pull him close, nudging him playfully through the living room and toward the hall, sliding his lips along the back of John's neck.
"Where're we going?" John asked, smiling, almost chuckling, quiet and breathy, allowing Dave to gently push him through the darkened apartment.
"Bedroom," Dave grunted, partially muffled by the skin of John's neck.
"Can I just leave my shoes by the door or something? I don't wanna track dirt in on your carpet."
"You can kick your shoes in my room. It's not like it's a sloppy night out or anything."
"Okay," John whispered back, close to Dave, sliding a hand along Dave's arm.
"Careful, now," Dave chuckled darkly, "unless you just wanna get started right out here."
"Don't tempt me," John snorted low.
John spun as he felt contact with the closed door of Dave's bedroom. The action wasn't exactly graceful, but he recovered nicely when his lips found Dave's in the dark hallway, his back resting against the door. Dave reached an arm around John's shoulders and twisted the doorknob with his free hand. The door fell open and John snickered, "I'd have fallen if you weren't holding onto me."
"And I wouldn't let that happen," Dave spoke, quiet and scratchy as he advanced into John, moving him backward, pushing the door shut behind.
"You know how long it's been since I've been with a guy? Christmas. Yeah, I know. How cliché could I be?"
"Was he anything like me?" Dave asked, swinging back behind John, loosely encircling John in his arms while John tried to toe off his shoes, succeeding after a moment.
"I've never been with anyone like you," John said through labored breaths as Dave's lips and teeth grazed his neck lightly. "Damn. That's fucking hot."
Dave also kicked his shoes, still holding onto John, breathing hot on John's neck.
"Do we have to worry about when Scoop's coming back?" John asked, sounding suddenly tense.
"Scoop's not gonna be back for a while," Dave explained. "It's barely past twelve-thirty, and he's probably gonna need to stay at the club until they close up, manager of the band and all, needs to make sure they get paid and everything. You seem kinda nervous."
"I'm trying not to be," John whispered. "I like this feeling, being close to you like this."
"I'm digging the way you feel right about now too." Dave switched on a small bedside lamp, kissing John's lips and cheeks alternately and moving lower to brush his lips against the unshaven flesh of his neck. John craned his head involuntarily, smiling, offering Dave greater access to his throat. John's breathing became more pronounced, audible, almost irregular.
"You okay?" Dave asked, noting John's shift in demeanor.
John gasped a little, swallowing hard. "Yeah." John let his hand fall to Dave's crotch, as if to answer with the gesture. "I just, I've kinda," he bit down on his lip, "I've kinda built this up a little bit in my mind. You, me, naked- doing lots of, well, stuff, and I-uhh- you're very flattered in my fantasies."
"Yeah?" Dave asked as he began kissing John again lightly on his lips as John spun slowly, unconsciously, in Dave's arms to face him, pressing their crotches together, John lifting his arm from between them to find himself encased in Dave's arms again, but turned to the front this time. "And what are those fantasies like?"
"Good," John said with a little tremble as he found himself leaning backwards, hitting the edge of Dave's bed. "Very good. You're always... close, close to my body. When I'm sucking you off, when you're fucking me, when we're about to-" John stopped for a moment, blushing slightly as he fell back onto the bed.
"Sounds nice," Dave said, leaning over John and addressing him with a devious grin.
"I- yeah," John said as he found his way to the bottom of Dave's shirt and let his hands roam over Dave's back, the first skin-to-skin contact causing John to throb with expectation. "That's nice. I just- I'm clean, you should know that. I'm tested like once every three months and I don't... I don't fuck around a lot. Just enough to... oh, damn. Train of thought leaving the station."
"I't cool," Dave spoke, keeping his eyes on John's as he reached over to a nightstand, pulling open a drawer and groping inside. "Tested and clean here, always play safe." After a while of fishing in the drawer, he dropped onto the bed a handful of condoms and a bottle of lubricant. "I'm always prepared or I don't go there." His eyes remained trained on John's the entire time.
John smiled, looking away from Dave's penetrating eyes, an almost dazed expression.
Dave repositioned himself slightly, John shifting so he was more centered on the king size mattress, Dave's knees not pinning him down until he slid closely into the space between them so he'd feel pinned down. Dave stood to kneeling position, tossing his button-down shirt behind him and peeling his T-shirt up and over his head, revealing himself to John.
John was awed; he memorized the what he saw, the sparse hair and the defined chest, not loose but not six packed, definitely muscled but nothing that would make John feel uneasy or unable to strip before the man.
"Like what you see?" Dave asked with an arched brow.
"Yeah, I, um, you're really, like, so far, like, better than what I imagi..."
Dave intensified the smile. "I wanna see you too."
John lost his words for a moment and opened his mouth to say something. Instead, he nodded, reaching up and pulling Dave's head down, his hand on Dave's neck. They kissed, deep, like that for a couple of minutes, Dave's body on top of John's; John grateful that clothing was still touching so he didn't lose it completely. He didn't want to stop, and he could feel Dave's pronounced bulge protruding against his own. It wouldn't be long before Dave's hips would follow and John was wondering if he'd even make it another five minutes.
Dave lifted himself upward, a playfully challenging expression. "You gonna show me some skin?"
Dave's hands were suddenly against John's skin, fingers tracing lines along fur and lifting John's shirt above his head. Dave whistled low as John let his shirt fall over the edge of the bed.
"That's fuckin' hot," Dave mused. "Red fuzz everywhere. Looks delicious to me."
"Well, yay, genetics?" John chuckled low, grateful for the slight breather so that he wouldn't get off before he was completely naked. "Well, yeah. I mean, I'm losing it on my head so the hair had to grow somewhere. Everywhere? You think so? Maybe you should- I dunno- find out?"
Taking John's words as an invitation, Dave's hands moved quickly to John's pants, popping buttons and unzipping them, his eyes stopping on the vision of the bulge in John's boxer-briefs, stretching the fabric. "Happy to see me?"
"Hah," John coughed tartly. "Just be careful. Too witty and I might explode on ya."
"Well," Dave chirped, "guess I'd better be take it slow then." Dave leaned forward and took a mouthful of cotton and bulge, his tongue extending over John's head beneath the fabric. John arched at the sensation for a moment, his eyes going wide. Woah damn, he thought, as he felt that he'd lose control completely.
Dave refused to let go at first, lost in the moment as he moved his tongue slowly, closer to the edge of the boxer briefs, and then inside until the briefs were inside-out, elastic between Dave's teeth, and John felt them slip downward in Dave's grasp. John was naked, motionless; Dave was gently nipping John's cock, his tongue was quick, the movements met with John's wordless sounds of approval.
"Urgh- you're gonna- I," John managed to finally form words as Dave' mouth moved lower. John's breath quickened a little too much for Dave's liking. John squirmed as Dave sucked and teased, using one hand to thread through Dave's hair.
"Approval?" Dave said with an air of cockiness as he lifted his head.
"Guh," John replied, biting down on his lip and starting to thrust. "Damn it, Dave. Damn it."
John lost all concept of time, how long Dave's shoulders moved along the bottom of his legs. Dave was finding all of his tactile weaknesses, all the buttons that made him remember what it felt like to be taken.
Dave broke for air for a moment, a pleased expression and John's eyes glazed. John scooted away, eyeing Dave. "Okay. Your turn. Off with the pants."
"No problem," Dave complied, standing from the bed for a moment, John raising himself so he could watch Dave unzip. Dave took a moment to peel off his socks, then the sound of unzipping pants which made John nearly irrational as Dave's bulging boxer-briefs revealed themselves as his jeans fell slightly.
"You're killing me," John breathed, labored as he reached for Dave's hips and brought down his pants and underwear with a single gliding movement. As before when he first say Dave's torso, John took an awed moment to observe Dave's member as Dave looked downward and across to John's face.
"Like what you see?"
"Uh, fuck yeah," John said, about to taste Dave's flesh for the first time. Dave's cock filled John's mouth to capacity, the length causing him to choke slightly on first try, the girth straining his jaw. It tasted and looked incredible amid a thick patch of dark pubic hair and the earthy but unoffensive scent of fresh sweat.
Dave placed a hand on John's shoulder, letting his eyes close and his head tilt back as he enjoyed the sensation of being in John's mouth. His grip on John's shoulder was joined by his other hand on the back of John's head as he began to thrust more deeply into John's mouth. John felt the involuntary urge to choke and tears welled in his eyes as he shut them tightly, his hands grasping Dave's wrists and tugging.
"Oh, man, I'm sorry," Dave spoke, eyes wide and stunned, as he loosened his hold on John and pulled himself out.
John gasped for a moment. "It's okay. Just wasn't ready for that just yet."
"Sorry, really, I just kinda got caught up in the moment."
John chuckled. "It's okay. Really. It was actually kinda hot until I started to gag."
"Maybe we can try it again, only I won't go so deep?"
"Maybe we can try something else," John spoke directly, almost challenging.
Dave smirked and nodded, accusing. "You want me to fuck you?"
John slid his hand over Dave's and tugged. "Look, I umm..usually I don't, usually I just blow a guy and get them off and then I'm gone. I don't usually do a lot of other stuff and it seems kind of silly for you to be this hot and to just be jerking off instead of, well, I mean, I guess what I'm trying to say is..."
"You want me to fuck you."
"God yes!" John exclaimed. "Wow, that came out a lot more needy than I thought it would. Honestly, I didn't really ever think this was gonna happen, I mean, you're just, like, off-the-hook hot."
"Thanks," Dave said as he rose from the bed, sounding slightly dismissive, and reached to the lower level of his nightstand. "Let me grab some towels. I keep some jerk-off supplies in here."
John reclined, flat on his back, but at a diagonal angle on the bed; Dave positioned himself, upright on his knees as John's legs parted and bent at the knees.
"You into being rimmed?" Dave said, a playful and devilish smile on his face as he reached his fingers under John's knees.
John shook his head. "Nah, I just, I know it's supposed to be erotic and great and the guys in the videos look like it's an awesome experience from heaven, but we were like at the show and getting all sweaty and, um, I kind of um, you know, it's- I don't know."
"Dude, we don't have to go there," Dave rose an eyebrow, "not tonight, at least."
"Uh, yeah. Let's just- another bridge, another day."
Dave nodded. "I respect that. Now let's see if I can make your eyes roll back in your head again."
"Oh, I'm sure you're gonna be able to do that," John spoke quickly, trying to relax, stroking himself slowly as Dave reached to retrieve the lube and condom. He broke open the condom package quickly, stroking it over. covering himself, then taking a moment to open the lube.
"You absolutely sure you're okay with this?"
John's eyes bulged again; he nearly snickered. "Yes, absolutely, Dave. I mean, physically speaking, I can't think of another guy I've wanted as much as I want you right now."
"Lay back, unless you wanna do doggie style or side by side?"
John laid out and lifted his legs slightly, comfortable and disarmed. "No. This is good. I wanna watch your face, your body move." Dave was on his knees again, his fingers coated with lube, reaching downward between John's legs. "Fuck, you're- hi, oh God."
"There's the eye-thing again," Dave said, triumphant. "You like it?"
"Ah, yeah."
"Cool," Dave said as he inserted a second finger.
John winced, his legs twitching and Dave held still for a moment. "Too much?"
"Don't-don't stop, please. Oh shit- I just," John replied, unable to form a coherent response. He found himself touching his own dick again as Dave added a third finger.
"Ready for the real thing?" Dave asked thickly.
"Yeah, oh, fuck, yeah I am," John breathed out, just over an excited whisper.
Dave squirted another blob of lubricant into his hand and smeared it over his sheathed cock before reaching again under John's knees and raising his legs. As Dave pushed John's legs back and lowered himself onto John, John could feel Dave's wet, rigid cock sliding against and poking into him.
"Oh, gawd, this is so fucking hot," John's voice nearly whistled. "You don't know how I've thought about this happening and I..."
John's words were cut short by Dave placing his hand over John's mouth. "You talk too much. I'm having a good time too, but you need to relax."
Dave pulled his hand away from John's mouth. John was smiling timidly, blushing slight embarrassment. "Sorry."
Dave pressed his lips against John's, their tongues rolled together for a moment. "Listen, I like you too. It's okay to make some noise or exclaim something, but you're making my ears tired."
While his eyes were struck by the closeness of Dave's face and his mind was processing Dave's words, the sensation of Dave pushing himself into John came as a mild shock.
"Uh-huh..." John gasped.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," John answered. "I just didn't quite expect it just then. I mean, I was thinking about talking too much and then you kissed me and I guess I wasn't, oh, damn, I'm doing it again, sorry."
Dave snickered, his face mere centimeters from John's. John felt Dave back out though the two kept their close posture.
"I heard it's always easier to take when it's going in the second time," Dave whispered before he slid in again.
John's eyes rolled back before they closed completely, the action accompanied by a gasp. Dave lifted himself to his knees and pulled John's thighs closer onto him.
"Feel better that time?"
"Oh, yeah, fuck me, Dave."
Dave smiled and set himself into motion, thrusting into John; John responded by breathing loudly. He groped himself, his penis hard and dripping onto his belly before reaching upward to Dave's chest, running his hands through the dark hair and teasing his nipples.
"I was gonna stroke myself," John choked out between breaths, "but I'm not gonna last too long if I do."
"I wanna see you get off," Dave spoke, addressing John's eyes, "but I could probably go for a while."
"Really? It wouldn't bother me if I shot and you kept at it until you got off. I hope you're not gonna make me regret saying that"
Dave grinned, wicked. "Your call. We're both gonna unload either way."
Dave remained upright on his knees, John's legs resting on his thick shoulders. Their eyes were locked and John returned his right hand to his cock, slick with lube and precum, and began jerking it back-and-forth. He reached his left hand to Dave's chest; this action emboldened Dave to increase his speed and intensity. John's eyes widened as Dave's penetration deepened. Dave looked downward onto John. His left hand had fallen from Dave's chest, and his eyes were closed; his back was arching and his neck was extended back to its farthest position. Dave looked downward to see John's balls visibly tighten before he let out an extended sound. Repeated streams of thick, translucent-white fluid splattered against John's chest and belly.
John's eyes were closed, and his mouth was gaping. Dave fell forward onto him, wrapping his arms behind him, meeting John's mouth with his, and thrusting with a greater intensity. Their mouths dropped apart, and John lifted his head, tucking it against Dave's shoulder. Dave's repeated movement went on for some time, longer than John had reasonably anticipated. Eventually John's neck went limp and his head fell back onto the bed, but Dave's movements still seemed to be building. John's breathing became mixed with the sound of his voice: an audible rhythmic pant; Dave's penetrations had the precision and speed of a machine.
"You okay?" Dave forced out between breaths.
"Yeah," John responded, nearly a whimper. "Are you getting close?"
"Yeah. Real close. Just gimme a minute."
Finally, Dave's pounding slowed though the intensity of the depth of his movements remained. He closed his eyes, an expression of near pain on his face, as he pulled John close to himself, inhaled deeply, and met John's mouth and tongue with his own. Dave involuntarily bucked into John, causing John to emit a muffled grunt.
Their mouths parted, breathing freely for some time, both breaking a heavy sweat, their bodies remaining in the same locked position.
"I don't believe how long that went on," John uttered, exhausted.
"You okay?"
"Fuck yeah," John spat defensively.
Dave chuckled as he lifted himself from John, their torsos making a slick sound as the fluids between them loosened their hold.
"Sticky," John commented, grinning lazily.
"Little bit," Dave replied as he reached for two towels, tossed one onto John's belly, and blotted his chest with the other.
John remained lying on his back while Dave rolled the condom from himself and toweled.
"Make some space, please," Dave asked, sounding somewhat spent.
"Oh, sorry." John shifted to one side and straightened himself so he was no longer skew to the sides of the bed.
Dave lay on his back, pulling a light blanket over the two of them; there remained a space between him and John. He reached toward John, but John failed to move.
"Are you, like, uncomfortable?" Dave asked. "Hot or something?"
"No."
"Um, would you mind coming closer? I'd maybe like to hold your hand or put my arm around you."
"Okay." John rolled onto his side, and reached out his left hand, allowing Dave to take it in his.
"You can get a little closer. I'm not gonna bite."
John nodded, but the expression on his face was indifferent, almost sad, as he shifted closer to Dave, resting his head on Dave's shoulder and allowing Dave's left arm to pull him closer.
In the dim light of the bedroom, the sound of their breathing pulled both Dave and John into sleep.
John awoke again in the dim room, the small light from the table lamp casting a glow. He needed to use the bathroom, almost painfully so. Damned beers, he thought to himself.
Dave seemed to be asleep, but John whispered his name, a quick, staccato syllable.
"Dave?"
"Mgh." Dave grunted, still lying on his back.
"I need to use the bathroom. I gotta piss."
"Straight across the hall from this room. Can't miss it."
"Thanks."
John found his jeans in the dim light and slid into them and his t-shirt. He opened the door to find the apartment as dark as it was when they came in. He had no idea what time it was; he could only be sure that it was sometime after one o'clock. He stepped into the hallway and found the bathroom easily.
While in the bathroom, John heard sounds outside in the hallway: movement. He zipped up and flushed the toilet, rinsed his hands, and opened the door to find himself face-to-face with Scoop.
"Hey, Da..." Scoop's face wrinkled a surprised smile. "Hey, John."
John nodded meekly. "Scoop."
He shuffled a few steps across the hall as Scoop watched, seemingly amused.
Once in Dave's bedroom, he felt himself somewhat shaken by having seen Scoop. He slowly sat down on the bed and debated getting dressed and leaving when he felt Dave grasp his arm and pull him down onto the bed.
"I... I just saw Scoop out in the hall."
"So what?"
"I guess he just got in."
"So what. You comin' back to bed?"
"You think I should?"
"I'd like you to."
John removed his shirt and jeans. He scanned the floor of the room for his boxer-briefs before Dave said, "What's taking you so long?"
"Uh, I'm looking for my briefs."
"You're not gonna need 'em."
John lifted the blanket and slid beneath, his back facing Dave, as he felt Dave roll over and pull him closer, and a rigid below-the-waist sensation.
"Oh, gawd," John spoke in a breathy whisper. "That's why you said I wasn't gonna need my briefs."
"Is that a problem?"
"Uh, no. Definitely not."
John could feel Dave's hand touching him, pressing against him, working in a finger.
"Geeze, Dave."
"You sure you're okay with this? If you're not, just tell me and I'll stop."
"No, it's cool. Definitely."
Dave reached around John with his other hand, touching and finding that he was certainly aroused.
"Cool," Dave whispered. "I wouldn't have wanted to go there if I wasn't sure you were into the idea."
John heard the sound of a condom pack being torn open and felt the sensation of cold lubricant against himself. He shuddered and rolled onto his belly, parting his legs and lying, expectant.
"This how you want it?" Dave asked.
"Yeah."
"And you're sure you want it?"
"Yeah. Uh-huh. Definitely."
Dave stood upright on his knees, lowering himself. He slid into John, no resistance this time, and he could hear and feel John gasp and tremble under him. John was lying flat on the bed with his head turned to the left; Dave's upper body was raised as he braced himself on his elbows. He felt John shift and twist beneath him as he began to move himself back and forth, thrusting hard and deep immediately.
John had never approached climax this quickly before. He wasn't sure if it was the position or the circumstances or the animalism of the act, but he was getting very close.
Dave lowered himself from his elbows: his chest was now pressed against John's back and his speed and intensity increased. He took John's hands into his; Dave's lips ran over John's neck and shoulders. John turned his face to the left as far as he could, and their lips met over John's shoulder, and Dave's hips picked up a greater intensity.
John opened his mouth, emitting faint sounds. He could feel Dave's lips tracing over his ear and Dave's warm, moist breath against his skin; he could feel Dave's sweaty chest against his back, sliding and buckling with each thrust.
Dave felt John tremble beneath him momentarily as he raised his hips to meet Dave's pelvis more directly, straight-on. This invited Dave to increase his speed and depth. Dave felt John's grip on his hands tighten as John pushed back onto Dave and held this position in what felt to John like an extended period of weightless bliss. He could feel Dave's thrusts becoming more intense and regular.
As earlier, John found Dave's stamina alarming; he couldn't deny, however, that he liked the way he felt, wrapped in Dave's arms and taking everything Dave could give him, Dave unconsciously pushing his limits. Finally, Dave's movements reached a height then slowed; and Dave pulled John into himself tightly, gripping John's hands in his for a moment. Dave exhaled loudly, a sound part breath and part sigh, as he let his weight drop softly onto John's back and rested his head on top of John's for a moment, both of them breathing audibly.
"I awakened a sleeping giant," John whispered. "I guess I had that coming."
"Was it a bad thing?" Dave asked, his voice raising in pitch slightly.
"No, it was hot and it was wild and spontaneous. I need a towel."
Dave snickered and lifted himself from John, reaching for the towels he'd tossed to the floor earlier. As John rolled to his side, Dave placed a towel in front of him and reached around to pull him closer.
"What are you doing?" John asked, sounding exhausted but amused.
"I want you close to me for a while," Dave spoke, low and smooth-sounding. "That way, if we're occupying nearly the same space, you can't accuse me of hogging the covers."
John smiled and settled into Dave's embrace as Dave reached forward, sensing with his hand a saturated patch on the bedsheet.
"What the?" Dave spoke, confused for a moment, "Holy crap, you unloaded, didn't you?"
John laughed to himself. "Yep."
"You weren't even touching yourself or anything."
"No, but you were creating a fair amount of friction between me and the mattress, and you were, I guess, hitting me in the right place. Repeatedly. And it's not like there was much point in me holding back."
Dave reached to the lower level of his bedside table, pulling another towel upward, and swabbing at the spot for a moment.
"You comfortable?" Dave asked.
"Mm-hm," John murmured.
"Comfortable enough to get back to sleep?"
"Yeah, I don't think I'll have any problem sleeping after that."
"Okay."
John closed his eyes and felt Dave kiss the back of his head.
Daylight was breaking when John woke again. Dave's bedroom was surprisingly bright in the daylight, but it was John's bladder, not the light, which had caused John to wake.
In the light, it was easy for him to locate his jeans and T-shirt. He slid from the bed, dressed quickly, and stepped from Dave's bedroom to the hall to the bathroom.
As he exited the bathroom he heard a voice coming from the living room.
"Hey."
John turned his head, surprised, to see Scoop sitting on the couch.
"Scoop?"
"C'mere. I wanna talk to you."
John approached the living room and addressed Scoop more closely. Scoop's expression was stern.
"Here it is. I like your friend Katie. Me and her hit it off right away, and I had a great time with her last night. Thing is, Dave's been my best friend for a couple of years now. I know the two of you have gone out a few times, and I know it hasn't exactly been, like, a perfect experience. I was glad to see you show up last night. I was glad to see Dave having a good time with you, but I didn't expect to come back and find out that you guys spent the night together. I guess what I'm saying is, don't fuck with his head, okay? I know Dave can make his own decisions and do what he wants to do, but, fuck, if you mess with his head, I will hunt you down and make you one miserable motherfucker, and if that fucks up things between Katie and me, so be it. Understood?"
"Yeah," John answered, quiet, as he nodded, twitchy.
The two remained for a moment: John standing nervously at the threshold of the living room, facing Scoop, and Scoop seated on the couch, staring at the blank television screen.
"That's it, man," Scoop finally spoke.
John nodded and shuffled quickly to the bedroom.
Once inside, he scanned the room quickly to gather his things. Dave began to stir, raising his head, squinting at the light and shaking his head, following John around the room.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm leaving."
"You have somewhere to be? Early morning church service, maybe?"
"Nah. Your roommate just read me the riot act."
"Huh?"
"Told me not to fuck with your head."
Dave laughed hazily, his mind still fuzzy from sleep. "Listen, I love Scoop, but don't you think I make my own mind on things?"
"Yeah, I guess," John's actions slowed, and he was near enough to the bed for Dave to reach out and grab his arm.
"Come here," Dave said as he tugged John's arm.
"Hey, let go," John fought not to laugh but ultimately smirked into a giggle as Dave succeeded in pulling him onto the bed.
Dave sat up and pinned John's shoulders flat to the bed. Both faces were smiling at each other.
"So, wha, I guess you wanna fuck me again?" John asked.
"Well, um, you suggested it," Dave spoke, "and if you're up for it, I am."
"Why the hell not?" John answered and he sat up and lifted his shirt up over his head.
Dave met John's mouth with his own as John unbuttoned and slid out of his jeans, an action which was far more agile than one might have assumed given the circumstances. Dave pushed John onto his right side, kissing the back of his neck and pulling him close. John heard Dave tear open a condom packet as he pulled his left leg up close to his chest, granting access. Dave's left hand rubbed a smear of lubricant onto John's erection, then reached downward, his fingers penetrating, before sliding his penis into John, causing John's back to arch, pulling his face closer to Dave's.
John's eyes were closed, and it took almost no time for Dave to reach his peak intensity. This time, though, Dave's lubricated left hand was wrapped around John's throbbing cock. With his right arm, Dave pulled John closer; John turned his head to the extreme left so their lips could meet. The position provided a level of contact and closeness that nearly overwhelmed John. Dave found himself nearing climax within minutes, much sooner than either of the earlier times.
"I'm getting' close," Dave muttered, breathy, in John's ear.
"I could probably go any time," John replied, eyes still closed.
As before, Dave's movements slowed and deepened. The action pushed John over the same edge and he erupted, panting, as Dave drove final, slow, involuntarily thrusts into him.
Dave lifted himself over John's face and kissed him; John welcomed and reciprocated the action. Dave lowered himself and the two reposed in that position for a time.
"I know you don't know what you want, and maybe you're a little afraid of what you might feel or of getting into something too deep," Dave spoke, nearly startling John. "I'm not sure what I'm looking for either. I don't think I'm looking to be into something steady right now."
"Gotcha."
"I had a good time last week when I met you at that movie, and the talk we had afterward was cool. I had a good time hanging with you last night at the show. I had an awesome time after the show."
"Check, check, and check."
"I could be up for hanging with you regularly, maybe as a friend." Dave paused for a moment. "Maybe more than that. I don't know. I don't think I'm ready to make that call yet."
"Gotcha."
"We don't know each other very well. We actually barely know each other. I do know that neither of us were drunk or mentally compromised when we left that show last night."
"Agreed."
"It was something that felt right at the time."
"Yep."
With that, John stirred and and began to gather his clothing and dress himself. Dave, likewise, found his boxer-briefs and slid into a white T-shirt and running-shorts. John's process of dressing himself was clumsy and hurried-looking.
"I gotta say, that was the first time I ever actually spent the night with someone," Dave said drawing a surprised look from John.
"I mean, dude, I had sex before last night," Dave added quickly.
"No kiddin'?" John voiced with a wise-ass inflection and a sarcastic smirk.
Dave laughed. "No, seriously, every other time it's been, like, we have a half-hour before somebody's roommate gets home or we have a 20-minute grope-session in a car or something. It was literally the first time I spent the night with someone. It was kinda awesome."
John nodded. "So, I'm one of your firsts for something."
Dave shrugged. "Yeah. It was really nice. Thank you."
"Welcome."
"Y'know, I would be cool with seeing you again. Another movie, coffee, drag me to a friend's party as your date."
"Same."
"Well, door's open," Dave spoke. "I'm gonna leave that ball in your court for now."
John nodded. "Okay."
Referenced songs:
Iggy and the Stooges: "Search and Destroy"
Blondie: "Rapture"
Cheap Trick: "I Want You To Want Me"
AC/DC: "Whole Lotta Rosie"
