fic: tip jar 1/1
TITLE: Tip Jar
AUTHOR: Frala
E-MAIL: frala at hotmail dot com
DISTRIBUTION: Just at Perchance to Dream
DISCLAIMER: I neither claim any ownership to any of the characters aside from the ones I made up. And I'm not implying anything about any of the characters in real life. Its all fiction, none of it actually happened, I made it up.
AN: Thank you as always to Mae, Brenn, and AJ for the beta. *hearts*
AN2: Inspired by this picture of Todd and the opening of the Panthers at the rink where Olli comes to get him while he plays the piano and Todd stops and leaves with him.
RATING: R cause of language but really a PG.
CHARACTERS: Todd Bertuzzi, Olli Jokinen. Olli's pov.
SUMMARY: Todd's secret is that he plays piano at a bar in Sunrise, Olli's is that he likes that a lot more than even he wants to admit
~~
He's finishing up playing for the night. Like usual he has no idea, that I… or anyone else knows he plays here, let alone that I've been here to see and hear him a few times. Or a few dozen times.
I don't even know why. I mean he's good but it's not a quit your day job kind of good or anything like that. I have no idea why he plays here either. Though I kind of get the feeling that he doesn't know either. You know? If he asked me why I was here I'd have no answer but I bet I wouldn't get one from him either.
Maybe it's all about the anonymity here for him. I know just from his body language he's more relaxed here than he is normally, I can tell he enjoys that. I've stayed right until the end more times than I can count now and playing he seems even more relaxed than that.
He finishes up and makes small talk with the girls that stuck around until the end. His voice always surprises me, it's so much smoother than I'd have expected, almost gentle.
They're there more to watch then listen but it all works out because they don't bug him or even know who he is. He leaves alone every night. Well, every night that I've been here anyway.
More and more when I come here, I keep on wishing that wasn't the case. And not that I want to make some of those girls happy, but I want to be the one going home with him. I want to walk up and drop my number in the glass that they have there as a tip jar the way they do and see what happens.
And I have no idea when I went from thinking he was a nicer guy than I thought to thinking he was hotter than hell and I wanted to jump his bones. Fuck, I have no idea why I even stuck around that first night, let alone why any of the rest of this.
And yet… here I still am. And I still want him. I still want him probably more every time I come here.
He is… it's hard to put my finger on it exactly, but it's obviously something that I like whatever it is. I like that one minute he's brash and annoyingly loud in the lockerroom and the next he's talking low to one of the kids about something he's having trouble with and giving him a bit of a pep talk when he thinks no one else can hear him. And being just self depreciative enough that the kid feels good when he walks away but that doesn't feel like a big act, and probably isn't coming from him.
Aw God... I'm totally going to go put my number in the tip jar.
Or something.
Todd looks surprised when I sit down on the bench next to him. I can see the train of thought running through his mind and decide to head it off at the pass. "I don't know who else knows… but I've only seen me and Horton here.' I smile a little at the relief on his face.
I know he hates the bad press, who wouldn't? But I get the feeling he'd hate this a lot more. He looks ready to bolt; I think maybe that he'd hate it even more than I think he would. My hand is on his arm and he looks across at me when I lean in and smile. I have no idea what, aside from the obvious, possesses me but I kiss him just in front of his ear.
The little shiver and moan he lets out is enough for me, so I do it again and whisper for him to come with me. He does, silently getting up and following me around the back and to my car. I don't know if he drove or what but he gets in with me without saying anything still.
He's fidgeting a little though, like he's expecting a barrage of questions. I'm definitely making sure they don't come from me.
"How many times?" His question is to the point but his voice is soft even if the words aren't. Apparently he has no problem asking the questions though.
I blush… God I hate my skin sometimes. I'm sure my shrug is a little lamer than I wish it was. "A few." Dozen. He doesn't need to hear the last word. Not right now anyway.
"Why?" Wow, for someone who doesn't want questions, he's sure as hell full of them.
I shrug and ask him the same question. He shrugs too and grins widely at me.
We really don't need to say much more than that. The grin I give back and the way we laugh kind of sums it up. Neither of us is going to get our question answered.
But I wasn't really expecting to.
"You look really relaxed when you play…"
He bristles a little and I sigh, already backtracking. Telling him I don't mean he doesn't ordinarily or anything. This time he puts his hand on my arm and smiles.
"I feel really relaxed out there. I like that no one... well almost no one." He smiles across at me. Damn, his whole face is a little softer now as I pull out and head down the road. "I went there once with Jules and her sister one night and no one recognized me, or even acted like they knew my name, so I kept on going back and one of the nights it was pretty empty and I played a song when she asked me to. Then the manager said I could again if I wanted to and the more times I went I got more and more comfortable with there being more people there. Even when it's packed I feel good out there. I like that." He's blushing just a little and looks pretty sheepish when he finishes talking.
I'm more shocked at how much he spoke rather than what he said.
"It's nice to find something that makes you feel like that… it's a good feeling to have. Not that I needed it in the same way that you did…" Oh God now I'm babbling. I hate that.
He chuckles though, and smiles at me again. His whole face lightens and I think I'm this close to melting or something equally as ridiculous. I don't know, but I still want him… maybe even more than before. But I want more. Not just to throw him down and fuck him senseless. More of this. A lot more.
I've been to his place just once but I remember the way. It doesn't take too long, not long enough, and I'm pulling into his driveway. He turns and meets my eyes, his voice soft, almost tentative. "I'll be there again tomorrow."
"So will I." I smile back and lean in just a little.
"Do you want to get together after?" He leans in too and just barely brushes his lips across mine. "Maybe back here for a drink?"
I lick my lips and give him a little nod. "Absolutely."
"I would tonight but I have family stuff." His fingers touch my cheek lightly.
"You don't have to explain… tomorrow will be great." I'm leaning into his hand and I don't care. I'm also wishing he would explain, because I know there's a wife but I also got a kiss and invited home so there's more than meets the eye. But there's time to figure that out and his fingers stroking my cheek feel really fucking great.
"It will be." He kisses me again then leans back smiling after I kiss him back. "And Olli…" He waits for me to acknowledge and then smiles again. "Thanks."
"You don't have anything to thank me for." I reach and grasp his hand when he opens the door. "I mean it."
"Yeah I do." He rubs his fingers with mine, lifting them and kissing the tips. "I mean it too."
"Yeah yeah." I shake my head, full on blushing now. Not caring as I kiss his cheek and let him out. "I'll see you tomorrow." Wow, and here I thought I had him figured out. The me wanting him metre… well the arm just broke. He hops out and waves at me, still grinning as he jogs up the couple of steps to his doorway.
Okay, I started out tonight thinking about getting lucky and it turns out that that's exactly what I got.
Just in a little bit of a different way than I thought.
THE END
AUTHOR: Frala
E-MAIL: frala at hotmail dot com
DISTRIBUTION: Just at Perchance to Dream
DISCLAIMER: I neither claim any ownership to any of the characters aside from the ones I made up. And I'm not implying anything about any of the characters in real life. Its all fiction, none of it actually happened, I made it up.
AN: Thank you as always to Mae, Brenn, and AJ for the beta. *hearts*
AN2: Inspired by this picture of Todd and the opening of the Panthers at the rink where Olli comes to get him while he plays the piano and Todd stops and leaves with him.
RATING: R cause of language but really a PG.
CHARACTERS: Todd Bertuzzi, Olli Jokinen. Olli's pov.
SUMMARY: Todd's secret is that he plays piano at a bar in Sunrise, Olli's is that he likes that a lot more than even he wants to admit
~~
He's finishing up playing for the night. Like usual he has no idea, that I… or anyone else knows he plays here, let alone that I've been here to see and hear him a few times. Or a few dozen times.
I don't even know why. I mean he's good but it's not a quit your day job kind of good or anything like that. I have no idea why he plays here either. Though I kind of get the feeling that he doesn't know either. You know? If he asked me why I was here I'd have no answer but I bet I wouldn't get one from him either.
Maybe it's all about the anonymity here for him. I know just from his body language he's more relaxed here than he is normally, I can tell he enjoys that. I've stayed right until the end more times than I can count now and playing he seems even more relaxed than that.
He finishes up and makes small talk with the girls that stuck around until the end. His voice always surprises me, it's so much smoother than I'd have expected, almost gentle.
They're there more to watch then listen but it all works out because they don't bug him or even know who he is. He leaves alone every night. Well, every night that I've been here anyway.
More and more when I come here, I keep on wishing that wasn't the case. And not that I want to make some of those girls happy, but I want to be the one going home with him. I want to walk up and drop my number in the glass that they have there as a tip jar the way they do and see what happens.
And I have no idea when I went from thinking he was a nicer guy than I thought to thinking he was hotter than hell and I wanted to jump his bones. Fuck, I have no idea why I even stuck around that first night, let alone why any of the rest of this.
And yet… here I still am. And I still want him. I still want him probably more every time I come here.
He is… it's hard to put my finger on it exactly, but it's obviously something that I like whatever it is. I like that one minute he's brash and annoyingly loud in the lockerroom and the next he's talking low to one of the kids about something he's having trouble with and giving him a bit of a pep talk when he thinks no one else can hear him. And being just self depreciative enough that the kid feels good when he walks away but that doesn't feel like a big act, and probably isn't coming from him.
Aw God... I'm totally going to go put my number in the tip jar.
Or something.
Todd looks surprised when I sit down on the bench next to him. I can see the train of thought running through his mind and decide to head it off at the pass. "I don't know who else knows… but I've only seen me and Horton here.' I smile a little at the relief on his face.
I know he hates the bad press, who wouldn't? But I get the feeling he'd hate this a lot more. He looks ready to bolt; I think maybe that he'd hate it even more than I think he would. My hand is on his arm and he looks across at me when I lean in and smile. I have no idea what, aside from the obvious, possesses me but I kiss him just in front of his ear.
The little shiver and moan he lets out is enough for me, so I do it again and whisper for him to come with me. He does, silently getting up and following me around the back and to my car. I don't know if he drove or what but he gets in with me without saying anything still.
He's fidgeting a little though, like he's expecting a barrage of questions. I'm definitely making sure they don't come from me.
"How many times?" His question is to the point but his voice is soft even if the words aren't. Apparently he has no problem asking the questions though.
I blush… God I hate my skin sometimes. I'm sure my shrug is a little lamer than I wish it was. "A few." Dozen. He doesn't need to hear the last word. Not right now anyway.
"Why?" Wow, for someone who doesn't want questions, he's sure as hell full of them.
I shrug and ask him the same question. He shrugs too and grins widely at me.
We really don't need to say much more than that. The grin I give back and the way we laugh kind of sums it up. Neither of us is going to get our question answered.
But I wasn't really expecting to.
"You look really relaxed when you play…"
He bristles a little and I sigh, already backtracking. Telling him I don't mean he doesn't ordinarily or anything. This time he puts his hand on my arm and smiles.
"I feel really relaxed out there. I like that no one... well almost no one." He smiles across at me. Damn, his whole face is a little softer now as I pull out and head down the road. "I went there once with Jules and her sister one night and no one recognized me, or even acted like they knew my name, so I kept on going back and one of the nights it was pretty empty and I played a song when she asked me to. Then the manager said I could again if I wanted to and the more times I went I got more and more comfortable with there being more people there. Even when it's packed I feel good out there. I like that." He's blushing just a little and looks pretty sheepish when he finishes talking.
I'm more shocked at how much he spoke rather than what he said.
"It's nice to find something that makes you feel like that… it's a good feeling to have. Not that I needed it in the same way that you did…" Oh God now I'm babbling. I hate that.
He chuckles though, and smiles at me again. His whole face lightens and I think I'm this close to melting or something equally as ridiculous. I don't know, but I still want him… maybe even more than before. But I want more. Not just to throw him down and fuck him senseless. More of this. A lot more.
I've been to his place just once but I remember the way. It doesn't take too long, not long enough, and I'm pulling into his driveway. He turns and meets my eyes, his voice soft, almost tentative. "I'll be there again tomorrow."
"So will I." I smile back and lean in just a little.
"Do you want to get together after?" He leans in too and just barely brushes his lips across mine. "Maybe back here for a drink?"
I lick my lips and give him a little nod. "Absolutely."
"I would tonight but I have family stuff." His fingers touch my cheek lightly.
"You don't have to explain… tomorrow will be great." I'm leaning into his hand and I don't care. I'm also wishing he would explain, because I know there's a wife but I also got a kiss and invited home so there's more than meets the eye. But there's time to figure that out and his fingers stroking my cheek feel really fucking great.
"It will be." He kisses me again then leans back smiling after I kiss him back. "And Olli…" He waits for me to acknowledge and then smiles again. "Thanks."
"You don't have anything to thank me for." I reach and grasp his hand when he opens the door. "I mean it."
"Yeah I do." He rubs his fingers with mine, lifting them and kissing the tips. "I mean it too."
"Yeah yeah." I shake my head, full on blushing now. Not caring as I kiss his cheek and let him out. "I'll see you tomorrow." Wow, and here I thought I had him figured out. The me wanting him metre… well the arm just broke. He hops out and waves at me, still grinning as he jogs up the couple of steps to his doorway.
Okay, I started out tonight thinking about getting lucky and it turns out that that's exactly what I got.
Just in a little bit of a different way than I thought.
THE END