Kurt's eyes shone as the music shifted again. "Hey – listen, it's Pink. I love this song. Come on – dance with me!"
"Okay," Finn said, wondering if it was the beer or the atmosphere or something else that was making it so easy for him to get back on the dance floor. He looked over at the alcove with the pool tables, but Graham was facing away, talking to somebody else.
"Didn't Blaine sing this song, too?" Finn said, and immediately wished he hadn't, but Kurt didn't seem bothered.
"Yeah, but who can feel bad listening to Raise Your Glass?" Kurt took out his phone and held it up above his head, taking random pictures of the dancing crowd. "I'll text him these in a few minutes. He's so jealous we're here without him."
"Maybe we can come back next month," Finn shouted over the music, and Kurt gave him such a look of delight that he laughed.
• why so serious? • so raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways • all night underdogs • we will never be, never be anything but loud and nitty-gritty • dirty little freaks • just come on and come on and raise your glass •
Finn began to have a seed of an idea as they danced together. He was so caught up in this idea that he was hardly thinking about what he was doing, just dancing on autopilot, and he backed into someone by mistake. "Oh – sorry, I wasn't –" he said, turning –
And it was Jason, looking up at him with wide eyes. Someone else jostled him and he stepped in, and Jason stumbled right into his chest. Finn put a steadying hand around his back, feeling the tension in his muscles under the soft fabric of his shirt. His mouth felt dry. He licked his lips and swallowed. "Uh… hi."
Jason didn't look away. His hand came up and tentatively brushed Finn's chest, and Finn took an involuntary breath. His eyes flickered down at the open neck of Jason's pinstriped shirt, now unbuttoned down to his sternum, then back to Jason's warm, relaxed face. He had a crazy, almost overwhelming urge to kiss him, right there on the dance floor, but instead he stepped back, putting a few inches between them, and then he could breathe again.
Jason's expression went playful and he spun out away from Finn, then held out a hand. If it had been Puck doing that, it would have been a dare, but from Jason it was an invitation. Finn didn't think, he just took the hand, and let Jason move him into the dance.
Finn was suddenly hyper-aware of Jason's body, his arms, his feet, everywhere he was moving. They swayed, touched, moved apart, touched again, and every time Finn could feel a resonating pulse in his gut. He was mesmerized by Jason's grace and his breathtaking smile, so free, so – so much who Puck could have been, he thought, and he was embarrassed to feel tears come to his eyes. He closed them for a moment, getting himself back together, and raised his eyes to the ceiling, where the lights were dancing on their own.
Then he felt strong hands on his ribs, winding around to encircle him from behind, sliding around his waist. He made a noise in his throat at the sensation of Jason's broad chest against his back. His breath came faster, but he held very still as Jason pressed his hips lightly against Finn from behind, rocking to the beat of the Pink remix.
He felt warm breath on his neck as Jason brought his lips to his ear. "You're a good dancer, Finn," he said.
It was so unexpected that Finn laughed, an explosion of air from his lungs. Jason took it as disagreement. "I mean it," he said, and the words, though precious, were of less import than the sensation of Jason's mouth against his skin. "I'm sorry I ever let you think anything else."
"God," he moaned, feeling overwhelmed, but unable to move away. He watched the dancers around them with detachment, knowing they were watching Jason and this unfamiliar guy, and wondered vaguely what the hell he was doing.
• so if you're too school for cool and treated like a fool • you can choose to let it go • we can always party on our own •
Hours - or possibly minutes - later, Jason moved back, away from Finn, and he had enough presence of mind to stay where he was, instead of groping for the return of his chest, his hips. Then he felt Jason's fingers, intertwining with his, and he was being led off the dance floor, to a table in the corner. It was several decibel levels quieter here, quiet enough for them to hear one another if they spoke in a normal voice, but Jason leaned in close anyway. "Can I get you something to drink?"
Finn thought of the two beers he'd had with Graham, and the two back at the room before that. "I think I'd better stick with water," he said.
"Anything you want," Jason said, and Finn quivered.
Jason gestured to the leather couch on one side of the calf-height table, and as Finn sat, he walked over to the bar and spoke with the man behind it, who smiled and lined up two glasses. As he filled them with ice water, two slim young men approached Jason and moved in close on either side. One slipped a hand around his waist. Jason smiled at him and touched his cheek with an intimate expression. Finn felt a surge of anger and nearly rose to his feet, but he controlled himself. What kind of a claim do you think you have on him? he thought to himself. This is Puck we're talking about.
Jason spoke to the other man and pointed at Finn. They all looked over curiously. Jason waved and grinned. Finn gave a little uncertain wave back. Then his hand dropped to his lap as Jason kissed both men and sent them on their way with a pat on their behinds.
The bartender handed Jason a plastic-wrapped package. Jason thanked him, tucked the package under his arm and brought the two glasses back to the table. He pulled up a chair on the other side and sat down.
"Puck," Finn began.
"Jason," he corrected. "I'm Jason."
"Right. Sorry." He looked up at him and gave him a nervous smile. "Jason."
"I know you probably have lots of questions," Jason said, resting his elbows on his knees. "I just need to tell you something before we begin."
"Uh, okay," Finn said, watching Jason's fingers trace the rim of his water glass.
"I've been working here for about a year." He indicated the club. "Jason… is who I am. Here. Every weekend. When I go home… then I have to be somebody else." He eyed Finn. "I want you to know that whoever you want to be, here, can just be that. Who you are, here. When we go home tomorrow – you can be somebody else again."
Finn felt a flame of possibility kindle in his chest, but he hesitated. "How do you do that?" he said.
"It helps to have an hour and a half drive on the way back," Jason admitted. "I have certain songs I listen to. I change my clothes. Speaking of that…" He kept his eyes on Finn as he slowly began unbuttoning his shirt. Finn's mouth went dry. His hand shook as he lifted the glass of water to his lips.
Jason pulled the shirt off his shoulders and let it slide to the floor. "That shirt really belongs to Puck," he said. "I shouldn't have worn it."
"I liked it," said Finn softly, not looking at his bare chest, and Jason giggled.
"Oh, Finn," he said, and his voice was gently teasing. "You're adorable." He tore open the plastic package and took out a black t-shirt. He considered Finn. "I hope the shirt wasn't the only reason you were touching me."
"Uh…" Finn said, and he found himself completely unable to form a reply as he watched Jason pull the tight t-shirt on over his head. It hugged his chest and stomach like a second skin, and Finn let out a shaky breath. There was a Masque logo on the back, and the front read, I'm not a whore, I'm a professional.
"Now I feel more like Jason," he said, stretching like a lion in the sun, smiling brilliantly at Finn. "So… did you have any other questions for me, or are you ready to go back in there and dance with the hottest guy in the club?"
Finn looked at him with a crooked smile and set down his water on the table. "Sure, if you want to introduce me to him."
"Oh, snap," crowed Jason, standing with Finn and pulling him back out onto the dance floor. "There's that sneak attack Hudson sense of humor again."
Finn caught up to Jason to slide an arm around his waist and rest it on the back pocket of his jeans. "Maybe you're not the only one with a few surprises up your sleeve," he said, smiling at Jason's expression.
"Maybe not," Jason said breathlessly, and twined his other arm around Finn's waist, pulling him closer and falling into the beat of the music.
Finn watched over Jason's shoulder as Kurt noticed them dancing together. He stopped in mid-boogie and put a hand on his chest, like he was having a heart attack, but Finn could see he was smiling. Finn smiled back and shrugged.
He looked at the pool table alcove, then, and saw Graham nearby, watching the dance floor, arms crossed. Finn caught his eye and he nodded approvingly, giving him a thumbs up. Finn looked down at this boy he held in his arms, and thought about what Graham had told him, about Jason's Prince Charming. The fire he'd kindled earlier begin to grow.
"I hope you know what you want," he said to Jason. He allowed himself to run his hands over Jason's powerful back, and Jason smiled.
"I want this night with you," he said, and Finn felt his heart stutter and keep beating. "I want a night with no regrets, where we get to do everything we want to do." He looked up at Finn. "Is there anything you'd wished you could do, but never felt the courage to until now?"
Finn recalled the seed of an idea he'd had earlier, and that, too, began to grow. He grinned. "I can think of a couple of them," he said. "Maybe we can start with this one." He whispered something into Jason's ear, and Jason stopped dancing and laughed.
"That's not only possible – it's absolutely required!" he cried, and tugged Finn along with him to talk with the DJ.
• I'm hypnotized by the look in your eyes • and I can't break free, no • you pull me in with every look you give • we own the night • dancing's the only thing that keeps us alive •
