Chapter One - Part Two: Don't Sleep With or Date Someone Potentially Smarter Than You
He stepped away from the car, waving as they rode off. With his arms behind his head, he kicked around the ground for a moment. 'It's better this way.' He mused. Let them tire each other out and then he could just knock out in bed without the tossing and turning and needing to yell at them to shut up. After a few more seconds, Lavi headed back into the bar. He patted his back pocket for a five. If he was going to stick around a bit longer, he might as well get another drink. Lavi strolled back up to the bar and sat down. Glancing briefly at the gentlemen he had conversed with prior.
"Hey." He nodded at the bartender.
She smiled back, "Hey, red. What it'll be this time?"
"Rum n' coke, please and thank you."
Lavi ran his hands through his hair, ruffling up his hair again. His bangs fell back in place, obscuring his vision slightly as it did. He sighed briefly, leg bouncing away as he waited. He could feel a set of eyes on him from his right. His eye twitched as a puff of smoke was blown his way, wrinkling his nose in distaste. Feeling confident from his victory over his imaginary argument, Lavi turned to face him, propping his head up on his left hand and spoke, "Ya know-"
"I'm only repaying you for invading my privacy." The gentleman chuckled, amber brown eyes twinkling with mischief. He too had his head propped up on his right hand, staring intensely at the redhead. He took in the flush that spread across the younger man's cheek, lips quirking up into a smirk. Consumed with his own work, he was only given the opportunity to take in a mop of red hair, but now that he was face to face with the invasive being, it was almost cute how flustered he got over being called out. Freckles dusted the younger boy's face, blending in with heated embarrassment.
Lavi pulled himself back together, leaning a bit forward towards the man. He brought his hands down in front of him, clasping them together over the counter.
"I was just saying-"
"-That the wicked should go unpunished?"
His eyebrow twitched again, a bubble of annoyance building up in the pit of his stomach. He didn't care how attractive the older man looked, now that he was actually paying him some mind. He simply did not take well to being questioned or being pushed around. The urge to wipe that smug smirk off the older man's face was hard to resist. Lavi pursed his lips together, chuckling lightly as he bowed his head. He took a moment to collect his thoughts. He was still tipsy after all.
"Look."
"I'm looking."
He gave the man a pointed look.
"According to the text," Lavi began, smiling briefly at the bartender as she set down his drink, "It suggests that the Queen is maintaining a set of standards. If we look at the time period the fairy tale was supposedly written in, one could argue that the story is warning mothers or women of the allure and beauty of those younger than them. It's as much of a warning of evil step-mothers as it is of bewitching young women. I mean, look at the other fairy tales. There are two renditions of Cinderella, Donkeyskin and The Princess in the Leather Suit in which the father wants to marry the daughter based off of looks."
"I think you're confusing pedophilia with 'bewitching young women', lovely." He replied.
"Lavi."
There was a small pause, Lavi's brain running 20 mph as he pondered over blurting out his name so suddenly. There was no way he was going to confess to suddenly blurting out his name because his intoxicated brain confused hearing the word 'lovely' as a mispronunciation of his own name.
"Lavi." The stranger repeated, snickering to himself.
"Tyki, in case you were wondering Lavi." Tyki found the redhead to be quite adorable. He was easy to fluster and eager to engage in an argumentative discussion. Rather that was due to his intoxicated state or not, didn't bother him. Lavi seemed sober enough to string along a sentence or two and seemed well aware of his surroundings. Not that Tyki was looking for easy prey or for any type of company, to begin with. In fact, he found it quite bold and endearing how the redhead was capable of being quite invasive while not coming off as rude. Instead, it just made him seem rather cute.
'Like a rabbit.' He mused.
Not to say he wasn't an attractive young boy. Tyki found Lavi to be quite easy on the eyes. He was very appealing to look at and the way he bit his bottom lips as he carefully picked his words, tugged at his arousal. Lavi's lips were plumped, swelling to a nice shade of red from worry. For a brief moment, Tyki toyed with the idea of having them wrapped around his cock. He would run his hands through strands of autumn red hair and pluck that peculiar eye patch off just to see what lied underneath. The boy had gorgeous green eyes and smooth looking skin. The urge to smear that perfect complexion stirred deep inside of him. At last, he was here as a patron and despite being a man with some perverted thoughts; he had no interest in intoxicated boys. He would simply entertain the conversation. Unless, of course, things just happen to roll his way.
"Hey!" Lavi exclaimed, snapping his fingers in the older man's face. His face was flushed from exerting himself trying to get Tyki's attention. One simply can't challenge one's literary prowess without expecting some type of confrontation. He wasn't going to admit to having dozed off into a deep stare himself, either. Lavi felt that it went without saying that Tyki was attractive. The man oozed confidence and his presence alone radiated with sex appeal.
'Not that he needed to know.' He mused
"Yes, lovely?" Tyki replied. He closed his book this time around, turning to give Lavi his full attention.
"I'm not finished with my argument and you will listen." He said as if he could hold the man in place and talk him to death. It would ensure his triumph for sure.
"I stand by what I said."
"MY POINT IS," voice raised, he stuck his finger in Tyki's face, "Snow White is annoyingly materialistic. She has zero character depth. The Queen has so many layers!" He slammed his hands down against the counter tops, palms pressed flat against it as he stood up, doing what he does best as he stepped further into Tyki's space.
"Like a story bent on telling a tale to warn little girls about how pretty people can be mean or the dangers of broken homes. Don't divorce! All those stereotypical things they were writing dumb folklores on. She's super intricate, but yet all anyone cares about is Snow White."
Tyki stared at him, a smile spreading across his face. He had to look away, covering his face with one hand. His body shook as he tried to suppress his laughter. Lavi was unbelievably drunk and it was the most amusing thing Tyki has ever laid witness to. Flushed with embarrassment, Lavi was unable to take being called stupid and being laughed at in one setting. He looked at his empty glass, an inquisitive look flashed across his face briefly, unable to recall finishing his drink let alone having started to drink it.
Lavi stood up, grabbing his coat and left. He could barely keep his feet grounded, stopping briefly to clear his head and suck in a deep breath. It's when he started fishing for his phone in his pockets; he let out a loud noise of frustration.
"Ugh! Lenalee! You didn't give me back my phone!" A sound akin to a whine left his lips, stomping his feet against the ground in frustration. He leaned back against the outer wall of the bar, tucking his chin into his jacket's collar and weighed his options. He could go back inside and call for a cab, but then he would have to face Tyki again and he surely wasn't about to add more salt to his wound. He wasn't a masochist. Or he could wait a brief moment in the cold and pray he sobers up enough in the next ten minutes so he could walk/stumble his way home.
He closed his eye, inhaling and exhaling slowly, deeply. Lavi listened as his heart rate slowed down; focusing on the steady ba-dump his body manufactured every day. He tuned out the outside world, waiting patiently. Lavi enjoyed his moments of silence, feeling a light fog lift up from his mind. It was peaceful and it allowed him to put this night behind him.
"Lovely." Or not.
He furrowed his eyebrows, lips pressed tightly into a thin line and he ignored that sultry voice. It was like the man didn't have an on or off filter for deep and sensual. Lavi ignored him, a little grunt escaping him as a soft long cloth was dropped on top of his head. He opened his eye to stare at the ground, cheeks flushed from the crisp night air. He watched his breath solidify before his eye, taking note of another pair of shoes with his own. Lavi reached up to grab his scarf, fixing it from on top his head to around his neck. He looked up at Tyki, annoyance written in his expression as he mouthed the words 'thank you.'
Tyki was hovering over him, arms against the wall as he boxed him in place. He looked down at the redhead, lips quirking into a signature smirk.
"Lost, lovely?" He asked, "You look cold."
He toyed with a strand of red hair, fingertips briefly brushing over the eye patch that adorned the redhead's right eye. It was quite bold of him to touch something that seemed quite personal. He watched the redhead with wicked intent gleaming in his amber brown eyes. The boy was just too fun to tease.
Lavi pursed his lips together in thought, picking his words carefully. He was becoming quite frustrated at his situation. It just kept coming back to him. He needed to tackle Tyki in a way that would throw the man off, lure him into a false sense of security, so he, Lavi, could remain victoriously. He wasn't going to start looking in wits now, even if he was drunk and very unintelligible. Tyki was teasing him and he knew Tyki was teasing him. But to tease him so, meant that Tyki was paying quite a bit of attention to him. Even drunk, Lavi maintained the ability to observe, keenly or not and he knew Tyki was watching him quite intently. From the way, his fingers tapped against the counter top to the way his lips curled around every word the fell forth from his mouth. None of which bothered Lavi. He was openly bisexual and capable of admitting when someone, despite being overly cocky and unbearable, to be quite attractive. In fact, it would solve both dilemmas he was facing. It would get Tyki to shut up and a place to crash tonight.
"Eat my ass." Lavi straightens up against the wall, looking head on into Tyki's gaze. He leaned into the man's soft touches, tilting his head so it rested in the palm of his hand. His lips were quirked up slightly, emerald green eye watching him with a gleam of wickedness.
'Oh?' Tyki wasn't too taken back. He stared down, unwavering in response.
"How bold. Is that an invitation, Lavi?" He dropped the pet name, a wide smile gracing his face.
"It'd put your mouth to better use." The redhead retorted, standing into the raven haired man's embrace.
"Wanna tease?" He purred out, "Tease in bed."
He brought his hands up to rest against Tyki's jacket, sliding them up the span of his chest to hook them together behind his neck. Lavi was at that right level between sober and intoxicated to set his standards aside, particularly his one specific standard, 'Don't sleep with or date anyone potentially smarter than me.'
"And here I thought you were brimming with hatred for me." He chuckled, bowing his head.
"I can see that you're annoyed," Tyki began, resting his hands on the smaller boy's waist, "And that you're still bitter about the conversation prior."
He pressed Lavi back against the wall, watching an inquisitive green eye trying to predict his every move.
"And that you're quite aware of the hard-on I'm sporting for you. So, to makes things even," He leaned in against the redhead, pressing his larger frame against Lavi's slightly smaller one. Lavi could feel his lips pressed against the shell of his ear, unable to suppress the shiver that ran down his spine. He inhaled the scent of nicotine from the man's hair and what he felt to be a faint scent of green apples hidden amongst the smoke. His lips were cold against him, heart beating loudly as he waited. He could feel a wave of warmth radiating between them. His fingers toyed with the curls of black hair at the nape of Tyki's neck.
"You were right. The Queen is a far more interesting character. Snow White is like a shell of her former self and there is no other reason for this story to be told, but to showcase a strong, independent woman as being wicked or evil while glorifying the idea of being naïve as safe and the ideal personality young girls should go for to get a prince." Tyki's lips curled into a smirk against his ear, stepping away in time with Lavi's hands coming down to push him away aggressively.
Lavi slapped a hand against his left ear, cheeks blazing red. He could still feel the lingering sensation of the older man's lips against his skin amongst the mixture of anger boiling within him and the urge to shout out victoriously, that ha! He was right! Tyki, on the other hand, whistled innocently as he twirled around, waiting for the redhead to calm down.
'Too much fun.' He chuckled.
"You're an ass," Lavi growled out.
"I'm just good at what I do." He replied nonchalantly, lighting up a cigarette, "And you're just too good at being… captivating."
Tyki glanced back at him, blowing out a puff of smoke, "You coming, lovely?" He asked, holding his hand out towards the redhead.
Lavi stared at the offered hand, biting the inside of his cheek. He was torn between giving in and wanting to win anything at this point. It wasn't like he could lose any further. It was a win-win for both of them. Begrudgingly, he walked up, slapping his hand away, "I like being loud."
"Noted."
Author's Note: SO! I broke chapter one into two parts because it was simply easier to edit it that way without giving me a headache. I also didn't want to set up the expectation that I would be ditching out 4k+ length chapters. I repeat I am a full-time college student with a full-time job. I don't know what I am going to give you. I know, nothing much has happened in this chapter. The only reason it got so lengthy is because I couldn't get them to stop arguing. I'm already working on chapter 2. I promise it'll be more detailed than and I promise my writing will and can only get better.
Please cut me some slack. It has been a very long time since I last wrote prose and I am VERY rusty. :( Excuse some mistakes. I LOVE constructive feedback be it in the form of a review or a private message. I am looking for an editor/beta reader. I have set up a poll on my profile page in hopes of gaining more insights on what would make this fic better for YOU guys and what I can improve on and what you would like to see happen next.
Thank you for sticking with me for all these years. I hope I've improved.
Stay tuned for next time, folks!
