Bertie has a *date*- RL with Apollo

[bertiewwooster]

It really was a dashed fortunate thing that Jeeves knew about DramaDramaDuck, otherwise Bertie would have had a job explaining to him precisely who he was taking out for drinks that night.  As it was, however, he merely explained that Apollo- yes, the Greek deity chappie- was coming 'round for a moment or two, before the two of them would be

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[bertiewwooster]

It was only a few more minutes of putting- with the glass rather miraculously remaining in one piece- before the doorbell buzzed. Bertie hastily spun around, adjusting his bow tie in the mirror; he was togged up properly for a night out- white tie and tails, as the old saw had it, with a carnation tucked into his buttonhole.

Whilst he checked his appearance, Jeeves oiled over to the door, opening it with a slight clearing of his throat. 'Mr-' he began to announce, but then paused, sounding, unusually, slightly off balance. Bertie very nearly goggled; this was Jeeves, after all! But he soon composed himself. 'Ah, Apollo, sir.'

Grinning at the man in the doorway, Bertie clapped his hands before him, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet. 'What ho, what ho, what ho! Er, do come in, old thing, what? No use in loitering about in the doorway.'

The butterflies he'd had fluttering about in the general stomach region had, at some point, turned into bally aeroplanes crashing about in there. Bertie only hoped none of that showed on his face. At least, not whilst Jeeves was here to see.

[sine_sole_sileo]

"If you insist," Apollo chuckled and stepped inside, removing his hat, revealing handsomely tamed, slicked back brown-gold curls. He handed his hat to Jeeves a touch shyly (the Sun God never kept servants himself, and never quite knew how to treat them, the idea of humans being subservient to others an entirely boggling concept) before turning his attention entirely to Bertie.

It took a great deal of self-restraint to resist kissing him right then and there, but somehow, Apollo managed to settle for a handshake instead. "It's wonderful to see you again, Bertie."

[bertiewwooster]

Jeeves took Apollo's awkwardness in stride with his usual ease, taking his hat and hanging it on the rack that stood next to the door. With a slight nod towards each of them, then, he shimmered off back to his duties. Bertie, for his part, was rather too busy staring at Apollo to take any real note.

As soon as he'd taken his hand, his mind had flashed back to the last time he'd seen this man, the last time he'd touched him. That virus, when Apollo had been, well... He tried unsuccessfully to keep the colour from his cheeks as he flashed a debonair grin.

'The sentiment is entirely mutual, I assure you,' he said, the grin still plastered firmly across his dial.

'Er, this is the humble abode, then!' he said after a moment, swinging around on one heel to gesture to the flat at large. 'You've seen my place of res. back in old Blighty, of course. Er. At least, briefly.' His American flat was spacious and clean looking, more so than his flat in London; lots of white with black accents, all in what Apollo, or somebody else from Bertie's future would have called the art deco style.

[sine_sole_sileo]

Apollo's smile warmed at the flush of Bertie's cheeks; gods, he was just adorable, wasn't he? The confidence and comfortableness between them when they were 'married' was gone, replaced by the fumbling and shy and excited feelings of courtship.

"I rather prefer this one," The Sun God observed the apartment with interest and took a few strides deeper into the living room, a hand brushing innocently across Bertie's back. "I'm sure we'll have time to tour it more thoroughly later on."

[bertiewwooster]

Bertie didn't precisely jump when Apollo's hand ghosted across his back, but there was a definite sort of twitch, and he gave the god a half-hearted little glare. It was, perhaps, rather spoilt by the smile that still lingered, but a chap does one's best.

'Well, you know.' He stuck his hands in his pockets, following Apollo's movement. 'It's not home, but it's a dashed good second option.'

[sine_sole_sileo]

"Precisely," Apollo mused, fighting once more the impulse to kiss that faux-scornful mouth. He wondered where Jeeves had gone off to, but he didn't dare initiate anything for fear the man caught them mid-lip lock. He looked to the younger man and smiled, expression holding more than just eagerness for their date on the town.

"Shall we go, Bertie?"

[bertiewwooster]

Apollo was looking at him in really the most decidedly rummy fashion; it made Bertie feel rather like one of those swooning maidens one saw on the covers of Rosie M. Banks novels. Even more rummy, he didn't quite seem to mind it. Languishing in Apollo's manly arms- or however that wretched authoress might put it- seemed quite a good- seemed a dashed good wheeze at the mo', even if Bertie didn't have the appropriate auburn curls to toss over his shoulder as he did so.

He returned Apollo's grin warmly. 'Just as I was about to say.'

Striding over to the closet, he pulled his walking coat from its hanger, retrieving his top hat from a shelf. Doffing it in the mirror to make sure it sat right, he nabbed Apollo's own hat and coat, passing them over. Finally, grabbing a walking stick from the stand, he gave it a twirl, leaning on it and giving Apollo a roguish little waggle of the eyebrows.

'And off we go!'

[sine_sole_sileo]

Apollo couldn't help but laugh as he pulled his coat on; he wasn't sure if Bertie was merely acting as he normally did or if he was trying to impress the God -- in any case, he was quite charmed by him.

He followed his date down the hall, returning them both to the elevator, which gave the over-affectionate God no opportunity whatsoever to bestow even a kiss upon Bertie, due to the operator's presence. He was relieved when they reached the ground floor and walked to the street, now crowded with salary men just off work and gaggles of young people headed to a night of frivolity.

"Where to, dear heart? I know not the locale as well as you."

[bertiewwooster]

Stepping out of the building, Bertie adjusted his coat around him, breathing deep of the crisp autumn air. The sun was down, New York's youth were beginning to come out, and he had a handsome fellow beside him who kept looking at him like he wanted to kiss Bertie senseless. This was already shaping up to be a corking night.

In answer to Apollo's query, he gave a little shrug. 'The 21 Club, the Silver Slipper, the Cotton Club- take your pick.'

Starting a leisurely stroll down the street, he gestured lazily in the air next to him as he spoke. 'The city is our oyster, old thing. Of course, the Americans have that soupy... prohibition thing in effect, but it doesn't mean a chap can't get a drink if he wants it, what?'

[sine_sole_sileo]

"The Silver Slipper sounds ni-- oh! I recall the Prohibition, yes! Dionysus threw a fit." Apollo laughed, falling into step with Bertie easily, looking about them happily; it was lovely to be back in such a time where mortals made do with what they had and then some. "Speakeasies are delightful, that is where we are going, then?"

[bertiewwooster]

Bertie gave a little shrug. 'Might as well be, I suppose. Not too up to date on the Yank lingo, I'm afraid. And as for the clubs, well- one doesn't look a gift whatsit in the mouth, what? I'm not fussed what it's called as long as I can get a snootful if I want one.'

It really was a dashed queer thing, strolling along with Apollo, talking and laughing with him as though the two of them were old chums. The aeroplanes in Bertie's stomach were slowly turning back into butterflies, and from then back into caterpillars, barely noticeable at all.

Skirting a puddle on the pavement, Bertie cocked a look up at Apollo from under the brim of his hat. 'And speaking of, old thing, I trust you know how to dance?'

[sine_sole_sileo]

"I should think it a travesty if the God of the Arts knew not the finer nuances of dance, Bertie." Apollo replied in a faux-admonishing tone, stepping through the puddle (and subtly evaporating it) in a most undiscerning fashion. "I may be needing a touch of refreshment when it comes to the dance of the time -- I should hate to embarrass you with an anachronistic step."