Plates empty and bellies full, Jack slouched back against the booth of the local Dallas grill joint they had decided on. It was late, the place only being open at 11 o'clock at night due to the massive influx of clientele thanks to Wrestlemania.
The two had been recognized by a couple fans, Jack offering to take photos with them and give autographs before Cesaro good get a peep out. When the Swiss man asked him why he was so eager to appease them, even if it was inappropriate, Jack simply shrugged.
"I just know how much it might mean to them, y'know? I don't wanna disappoint them." His sweet Jack.
Wait, 'his'? Cesaro was losing it, needed to ground himself, but found it difficult throughout their meal. The way Jack's cheeks puffed up when he chewed or drank anything, the way he licked at his bottom lip idly, the soft circles he rubbed on his own stomach when he was full. And God, the way he kept pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose…it was just all too much.
"Dessert or nah?" Jack asked after a moment, sipping at surprisingly girly drink in the form of an appletini. Antonio wasn't opposed to polishing of a meal with a slice of cheesecake or some chocolate concoction, but the only thing he could think about was getting back to their hotel room and taking a subzero temperature shower.
Well, that solved that and he shook his head, before replying verbally. "I think I'm good, Hoss. You?"
"Eh, I got some chocolate back at the hotel if the mood strikes." And with that he leaves a hefty tip at the table, paying for their meal on the way out despite Antonio insisting he actually cover some of the bill.
The ride back was peaceful silence, Cesaro opting not to have any alcohol and serving as DD, despite Jack not even being buzzed from a couple drinks that were more sugar than anything else. "Thanks for treating me out, Jack."
"The least I could do, man…" The reply was quiet from Jack's scrunched up position. Cesaro would never be ceased by how such a tall and well-built man was able to make himself appear absolutely tiny. "…what with you puttin' up with me so often."
"I do not 'put up with you'." Its firm, because Antonio doesn't know where all this low self-esteem is coming from, but he needs to lessen it, to make his friend feel appreciated and loved. "I like being around you, Jack."
The American huffed at that, but didn't respond as he rolled the window down, hanging his head out of the window, embracing the deep, late night Dallas heat. "Night'th like this…feel like there's somethin' in the air, y'know? Heavy…" It was a deep husk, some of the Oklahoman twang lacing his words and Cesaro's not quite sure what the young male means so he falls silent.
"It is rather warm."
"Yeah, that's it." Jack decided to agree, not sure why he was idly talking about the fact that he was, for lack of better terminology, a little hot and bothered. For once he was grateful that his vague English caused confusion for the older male. Because what dude tells his male best friend that he's horny? You just don't do that, but with the looks Cesaro had been giving him lately…it was more than just his weird, overly friendly European customs. Or was it? Or maybe Jack had just been wrong and reading the other male in a much more perverse and inaccurate light. And well didn't that make him feel all kinds of shitty.
The rest of the ride back is still silent, but there's an uneasiness there that neither man touches, completely silent as they ascend the stairs to the fourth floor of their hotel room. Jack insisted on it, feeling more than a little self-conscious over how much he ate. The older male had entertained him, trotting up the winding staircase no more than a foot away.
Jack flopped down on the bed face first, sighing into it before he stretched out his arms, a full body yawn shivering him to the core.
"Sounds about right, heh…" Antonio chuckled, toeing his shoes off as he shut the door behind him. Before the older male can say anything else, his text tone fills the hotel room. "…hmm."
"Whoisit?" Slurred from exhaustion.
"Sami…wants to go out for drinks…" Cesaro sat down on the bed, beginning to text away that he was in for the night.
"You should go, man…" Jack leans up, glasses slightly crooked before he tilted them back, turning his body towards the older male. "…hang out with some of your friendth or something…" Said rather quietly.
"I am hanging out with a friend." There is a bit of a bite there, almost annoyance and it makes the younger male mentally flinching before he gets angry himself. Because what the fuck, Toni? It was childish and stupid, but he whips a pillow that Cesaro barely managed to dodge. Fast fucker. "What the hell was that for?"
"You don't have to pity me tho fucking hard, y'know." He huffed then standing up with every intention of locking himself in the bathroom like a goddamn teenager, hoping those big, brown, pitying eyes would be gone when he was done.
"Why in the world do you think I'm pitying you?" Antonio stomped after him grabbing rather violently at his wrist, forcing him to meet his burning stare.
"Becauthe, this…the way you're talking to me, been lookin' at me after I told you all that, I…" He pulled his hand away, words dying in his throat, because who gave a fuck? Cesaro would just leave again once Jack got too emotional, got too possessive. He was deadweight before, wasn't he? He'd just be even heavier deadweight now. "Stop feeling sorry for me."
"I don't feel sorry for you!" It was a loud boom, Cesaro's voice heavy and thick and Jack doesn't register that the older male have moved until he feels himself pinned against the bathroom door, feet on his tip toes as Toni pushes against him with a strong grip.
"Then why? Why the FUCK are you acting like this towards me?" Just as loud of a boom, voice shaking in the end.
Quiet, so very quietly. "Because I love you, Jackie."