A/N: Slow update is slow. I always apologize but school/work was killing me. I'd also like to thank Vindictive John Dark Fantasy for pushing me to write some more because honestly sometimes I just need those small nudges to keep me going; thank you for being so devoted and I hope not to disappoint you bb.
Xenarocks99: Thank you bb. And rest assured, help is on the way.
Qxzky- The Sheaman chapter: Not as soon as I would hope bb. John needs a lot of recovery (next chapter) before that can happen.
Ondra J: I don't blame you. I want to do the same too. ._.
Vindictive John Dark Fantasy: Hope this chapter clears up some of that confusion for you, bb. And that love triangle thing.. ughghgh I've been wanting to write that honestly but not in this story. Sorry! Though who knows. My muses are constantly changing it up on me.
UnholyVengeance09: Thank you so much and I hope to keep you interested!
xxDanceGirlxx: Thank you, bb!
On to the story! :)
"I don't know why I expected more. I picked up extra shifts.. so probably can't come around here for a while."
Punk nodded, knowing what Colt meant and just staring at him "I'm sorry."
Colt nodded, "Me too."
He stood there, listening to the man's footsteps and eventually the loud slam of the door that resonated through the apartment. For some reason, this one seemed much more definitive and Punk couldn't help but just stare blankly at the floor, stomach churning and mind spinning with all the things he had to do.
Punk swallowed and braced himself because he'd been alone for a large chunk of his life and this feeling was familiar to him. The next few moments, Punk was on automatic. He showered and got dressed into semi-decent clothes before turning on his laptop. I don't have the luxury of feeling sorry for myself. He read a few emails from John, most of which were apologizing for what happened and a few of which were him saying thank you for the pep talk and it had helped a little.
He typed one back telling John there was nothing to be sorry about and that Punk hoped John would one day see himself like Punk saw him. Maybe it was the empty feeling in his stomach right now or the guilt that was eating him alive but he felt that he needed to tell John that even if it meant him and Colt would never be anything more than friends again. Punk hit send before he lost his resolve, staring off into space for a few minutes before his phone buzzed next to him.
[Text] I hope you didn't think I was kidding about grabbing drinks later. We can meet at the bar at 8?
[Text] Sorry if I caused any problems in the morning. I didn't mean to snap.
Phil smiled at the man's quick apology and told Dolph he'd be willing to meet up at any bar so long as he got an address because he never went to them. He could worry about himself once his conscience wasn't eating him alive regarding John. One day, Punk's low self-regard would be the death of him but until then the blond will continue putting everyone before himself.
He shut his laptop and pocketed his phone before going to the kitchen for some water. A deep feeling of sadness attacked him when he saw the dinner Colt had set up for them Friday night as well as the unlit candles next to the meal. He set his jaw, refusing to cry as he put the candles away and tossed the food away before cleaning up the dishes and putting them all back in their place.
Punk grabbed a water from the fridge and walked back to the small living room though he just walked out of the little slide door and onto his puny balcony. It wasn't anything special and it could barely fit two chairs but he did come up here whenever he needed to think and right now definitely qualified as one of those times.
The blond tucked his feet under his legs and tied up his hair in a sloppy bun as he just stared at the portion of the street he could see from his balcony.
…
He stretched on the bed, yawning quietly as he looked at the clock { 1:07pm } then groaned a bit as he sat up in bed. Morrison grimaced when his messed up hair fell in his face and reeked of smoke and sweat, last night's events coming back to mind. He shook his head and immediately regretted it. The hangover was always the only bad part of celebrating another successful gala.
The brunette mumbled to himself as he went to brush his teeth then took one of the longest showers he'd ever taken as he tried to get the smell out of his hair. Hands skimmed over toned muscle as he washed some of the glitter off his body, pouting a bit when not all of it wanted to come off so he just quit.
Once he was cleaned up and dried off, he walked around his apartment naked and made himself a protein shake. He had that and an apple before sitting himself down in front of the TV and grabbing his phone to browse the internet. Morrison frowned in confusion when he saw a message, hoping he didn't give it out yesterday in his drunken state because he was really tired of changing it.
[Text] Are you asleep?
[Text] I hate you.
[Text] Wish I could sleep this late.
[Text] There is no way you're still asleep. Stop being a prick and ignoring me!
Morrison laughed when he saw the last time stamp was about 30 minutes before he woke up. He quickly typed back a reply
[Text] I was asleep until about an hour ago. Some of us know how to have a good time, Punky. What's going on?
[Text] Miss me that much already? ;)
[[photo attachment]]
[Text] To quench your thirst. ;) you'll get the rest after the second date.
He waited for a few moments before Punk sent him back a variety of obscenities followed by him saying that the last thing he needed was a hard on right now. He felt a sense of pride flow through him knowing he could make Punk just feel that through texts. The brunette laughed and began typing
[Text] Fine, fine. I'm sorry. Thought I'd brighten up your day with my gorgeous abs.
The next reply came unexpected and Morrison frowned a bit as he typed out
[Text] Wait. Is that a formal request, Punk?
[Text] Not that I mind going to your house but are you sure?
Minutes ticked by before Punk finally responded to him and the long message that was mostly the blond doubting himself and saying he just needed to talk was enough to let him know that Punk wasn't just 'sure' he needed this right now. Morrison wasn't usually one to give up a lazy day after a night of partying but for the only guy who'd even bothered to look at him after the fucking meetings started he would be willing to do this.
He dressed in his usual tight jeans and just a dark tank top that was slightly loose on him before tossing a thin jacket over it and heading out to Punk's place. The fact that he'd been there before definitely helped and Morrison managed to get there just an hour after they started texting.
…
Punk had been on edge the two hours after he'd messaged Morrison thinking that he'd overstepped some invisible boundary with the man but when Morrison immediately began texting him like they used to before he started dating Colt he relaxed and just waited it out until the man showed up.
Morrison knocked on the door but didn't hear any noise so he knocked again much harder this time and finally heard quiet steps.
He groaned softly as he slid off the chair, the hours of not moving making his legs cramp up. Punk bit his lip as he opened the door, smiling at Morrison and enveloping him in a sudden hug.
The brunette stood there unsure of what to do for a few moments but eventually patted Punk's back softly before feeling the blond pull away.
"Sorry.. I just.. I needed to see a friend."
Morrison smirked and closed the door behind them before strutting into the man's apartment and sitting himself on the couch after tossing his jacket on the coffee table "Well you can see as much of me as you want.. I think this qualifies as the second date." He teased.
Punk snorted out a small chuckle before shaking his head and sitting next to Johnny on the couch "Not what I meant. But it's good to know that that's on the table." He teased back, feeling slightly guilty for easily flirting with another man after just ending something with his best friend. But Colt ended it, not him. He couldn't live his whole life feeling bad for something that wasn't entirely his decision, right?
"So you gonna talk or just stare at me all day? 'cause I'm fine with either, Punky." He was teasing but it was the only thing Morrison knew how to do without feeling awkward and it was how he dealt with his own emotions so this was all he could offer the man. He just hoped it was enough for Punk.
Punk blinked, looking at the brunette before smirking softly at the comment "I don't wanna talk your ears off so I might just have to stare at you until I have to go."
Morrison smirked though he felt heat rise up in his cheeks. He brushed his hair out of his face and turned on the couch so he was facing Punk as he flashed a wide smile at the slightly older man "Stare away, hot stuff." He teased before tilting his head to the side "..but just so you know, I'm a great listener.. I may like talkin' more but I like listening every now and again."
The man's voice was teasing but Punk knew there was truth behind his words. He sighed and let his blond hair go before putting it into a nicer bun as he told the man about his break up with Colt and why he'd been emotionally detached and his conflicting feelings about helping John. He ended it with, "…I just.. I didn't want him to think that I was lying about all that stuff but.. I don't see him that way. I want to help but not if it means lying to him about how I feel."
Morrison twirled a strand of hair between his fingers before nodding and looking at the man "Maybe you guys can find a way to prove to John how much he's worth without any man or woman in his life.. I think that kiss was comin' because he .. he doesn't know any other way to show his gratitude or to show emotions than with sex."
Punk stayed absolutely silent for a few minutes before letting out a long breath "So it would have been fake on both sides."
He nodded, "Not fake but.. for the wrong reasons. John was and is still in a vulnerable state.. and you were in a relationship and would be doing it 'cause of guilt."
The blond chuckled, sucking on his lip ring softly and thinking to himself until he heard Morrison ask him to think out loud. He looked at the brunette, "Just.. I didn't think of it that way. I would've been doing more harm than good if I would've let him kiss me like I almost did."
Morrison nodded and smiled sadly, "But you didn't. Why doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that nothin' was done that day that you guys would regret."
Punk seemed to relax at that, nodding and holding his face between his hands as he tried to soak in the fact that despite the fact that he was shaken up, he'd done what he thought was best then and now he knew better. He looked up at Morrison after he calmed down enough, seeing the man looking at him with a concerned look and smiling softly "Sorry.. Just, gonna take a while for me to soak it up, you know?"
Morrison smiled and gave a quick nod before reaching over and carefully squeezing Punk's forearm in a comforting gesture. He waited for the man to lock gazes with him "I know. Just wasn't much help. Not used to bein' asked for advice anymore."
Punk chuckled and leaned into the man's touch before shrugging "I think you were helpful. I just.. don't think clearly when it comes to being stressed especially if it's about my life." He smirked a bit as he rested his head back on the couch and glanced at Morrison. "Thank you."
The brunette smiled and nodded, kicking his feet up on the coffee table until he noticed the older man's slight glare. He pouted and put his feet down "You're really anal."
"You have no idea."
Morrison couldn't help the small chuckle, shaking his head and being thankful that if anything the blond was now calm enough to joke around with him again. He swatted the blond's arm before hearing the slight rumble from Punk's stomach. He laughed and reached over to playfully rub Punk's stomach before getting up "I'm assuming that in all the shit that happened you haven't eaten since Dolph had breakfast with you?"
Punk blushed a bit at the slight pat to his stomach and shook his head as he got up after Morrison did. "Nah. I've just had water." He admitted sheepishly before following the man to the kitchen.
Morrison was rummaging through the fridge before he pulled out some fruits and vegetables to make a smoothie as well as preparing a sandwich for them both "Hope you don't mind.. I'm hungry too." He saw it was already 5:30 and was actually surprised with how long they spent talking out Punk's problems.
Punk didn't say anything, letting the man make food for both of them. It was nice being on the other end of things. He smiled when the smoothie was ready and took a small sip, groaning happily and licking his lips "…you need to teach me how to make that."
Morrison smirked and shook his head as he reached over to tousle the man's hair playfully "Nah. That's more like fifth date material."
Punk snorted as he happily gulped down some more of the smoothie, sitting up on the counter and watching as Johnny cut their sandwiches in half. "So you're saying that a smoothie recipe is worth more than sex to you?"
The brunette scoffed and flipped his hair back when it started falling in his face again, nodding as he took a small sip of his smoothie "Not just any smoothie recipe. My smoothie recipe. I'm surprised you had all the ingredients in your fridge." He grinned a bit and slid one of the plates towards Punk before taking a bite of his turkey sandwich.
Punk shook his head and just ate as he watched the brunette, wanting to say so much but he was never good with words much less opening up about them. Instead the blond just finished off his meal and sipped the smoothie as Johnny busied himself looking at one of Punk's comics. "The smoothie is great but I doubt it's as good as sex with you." Shit. The blond looked at Johnny and thought about taking it back but Johnny started laughing and almost choking on the sandwich. Punk blushed but he still slid off the counter and hit his friend's back softly until he calmed down. "Fuck off."
"You .. sure you don't ..mean fuck me instead?" Morrison teased, panting softly as he tried to compose himself. He grinned at the blond and finished off the smoothie before running his fingers through his hair "Just so you know, sex with me is amazing. I just don't think it's all that special 'cause of our jobs." The man shrugged before washing their dishes and putting them on the rack to dry as he waited for Punk to finish the smoothie.
The older man rolled his eyes and drank some more of his smoothie "Our jobs don't mean shit though. We do it for money.. I'm sure there's shit we'd only do with partners instead of with every client, ya know?"
Morrison hummed and nodded as he swallowed the rest of his smoothie and took Punk's empty glass to wash both of them off. "Thanks for letting me eat here."
Punk snorted, "Thank you for .. everything." He held the man's gaze until he felt heat rise up in his cheeks as Morrison started walking towards him. The older man shifted a bit and started moving the comic book closer so he could distract himself but he felt Morrison's hand on top of his and he flicked his gaze up again.
"…You're the first one to even bother to try and get to know the real me.. y'know behind all the damn glitter and glamor. So thank you.."
"…there's another side under all the glitter?" he teased, earning a slap to his hand and only laughing hard.
Their laughter filled the room for a few moments, Morrison shaking his head as he wiped the tears from his face and worked on calming down. He looked up at the blond and took his hand away, "That's what I was talkin' about."
Punk grinned and nodded as he glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost seven. He reached for Morrison and hugged him softly "Don't worry about it. I like spending time with you." He smiled as the man made a fake gagging noise and smacked Johnny's hip as he pulled away "..now please get the hell out of my apartment."
Johnny pouted, "..I thought you liked spending time with me."
"..I do. I just have some stuff to take care of tonight."
"Oh.. yeah, okay. I'll see ya around?"
Punk rolled his eyes and nodded "Yeah. You know we'll be texting as soon as you're home. Hopefully our next days off also overlap." He smirked as he patted the man's cheek then let Johnny go and get his jacket.
The younger man smiled at Punk as he headed out the door after another hug.
Punk chuckled to himself as he shut the door, feeling oddly light after the shit show of a day he had before Morrison came over. The blond quickly went up to change into nicer clothes for the bar and put his hair down, putting some product in it to keep it from waving. He just had enough time to get to the bar Dolph sent him the address of earlier so he headed out.
When he got to the bar, the other blond was just sitting down and ordering a mixed drink. He grinned a bit as he sat down next to the man and leaned in, "Hey there, handsome."
Nick rolled his eyes and got ready to mouth off again before he saw it was Punk. He snorted and patted the man's leg quickly as he waved the bartender over but Punk obviously just got a Pepsi because the man didn't drink "Hey yourself. Thought you bailed on me."
"Nah. I wanted to see how you are drunk off your ass, Blondie." He teased as he took a drink of his soda.
"Pff.. you wanna take advantage of me?" he joked, grinning at the blond before they both burst out laughing because the situation had become slightly awkward because there was no way that there would be anything between them. Not that Punk wasn't attractive but just not his type.
Once Punk managed to control himself, they started discussing their days and Dolph gave him a small peptalk about Colt before they moved on to lighter topics like the kinks they shared because of the job. He noticed that a few men and women were staring at him like they wanted to poison his drink because he was sitting with Dolph but he tried to ignore them. Truth was, Punk still got fidgety being the center of attention and especially if it was negative attention. He worried his lip piercing and took a long drink from his soda before Dolph leaned closer to him and asked him if he was okay "Yeah. Just the staring."
Dolph looked around and hummed, as if barely noticing it. "If it's bothering you we can head out soon."
Punk shook his head and smiled at the man "Nah.. it's cool. I need to get used to it." he grinned as he tucked his feet under his legs.
Dolph shrugged at that and they continued talking about anything they could. He found out about Punk's previous job and dreams and even managed to piece together that his parents and him weren't talking anymore. His family seemed to be the complete opposite of Dolph's so it was strange speaking about them at first but the blond seemed to be interested so Dolph gave him as much random stories and funny memories he could in the hours they spent at the bar. By the time he realized he was tipsy, he'd already downed two shots that Punk bought him as a thanks for being willing to be his friend. He snorted but downed the shots anyway "..you're pimpin' yourself out.. through friendship too?" he teased, earning a laugh from the blond and snickering as he started talking more about his personal life and he might've slipped about the not so stable relationship he had with one of the clients because they both sucked at following rules. Once that slipped out though, Dolph hiccupped and looked at Punk before chuckling "You won't tell right? .. promise?"
Punk snorted a bit and shook his head. At least Dolph is a happy drunk. He patted the man's shoulder softly "Nah. That's none of my business. As long as you guys are both consenting I'm staying the fuck out of it."
"Consentin'!? … he fuckin' begs .. and if it's not 'im begging.. 'ts me!" another round of giggles as Dolph leaned on Punk a bit and started mouthing off about how amazing the client was and he was sure by the time the bartender told them they were closing in 15 Punk had pieced together that it was Alex he was talking about. He mumbled a bit as he tried to sit upright and rubbed some of the tiredness out of his eyes.
"Oh jeebus. I'm gonna need to give you a ride.. where's your car?"
"…taxi!"
Punk rolled his eyes as Dolph ran through another fit of laughter but he hoped that that meant the older man didn't bring his car here. Perfect. He could drop him off and then head home. One quick glance at his clock and he saw it was almost midnight and he had a few messages. Punk opened Johnny's and snorted a bit at some of the pictures before snapping some of the bar and sending them back to the brunette.
Dolph groaned against Punk and leaned against the man, eyes fluttering closed as he muttered something about John being the only other friend he had that was willing to help him out when he was drunk. "M.. miss him." he stuttered, slumping against Punk and barely realizing when the other blond helped him into the car.
By the time Punk managed to put Dolph's seatbelt on and slide into the driver's seat, the older man was asleep and Punk tried to wake him to get the man's address out of him but all he got was grumbles and giggles. "Son of a bitch.." he muttered, rubbing his face before sighing and making a split decision to let the man sleep in his apartment.
Punk started up the car and headed home, hoping he wouldn't regret this decision later.
A/N: I know it wasn't eventful like most of the others but this one is setting up for a lot of future plots so please bear with me. Thank you. Review?