You With The Sad Eyes (1/3)

[bubbleforest]

Master post

Continues from here.

AJ had tried burying his head under the pillow for the last ten minutes while pots and pans clattered in the kitchen, telling himself that he really did love the kid, but when there was finally a resounding crash and the half-hissed, "fuck, shit," that AJ was waiting for, he hurled the pillow to the floor and rolled onto his back. He glared at the ceiling for a while, then kicked his blankets off with more force than necessary and stalked out of the bedroom.

"Is it fucking necessary to wake me up with your failed juggling attempts every morning?" he snapped as soon as he threw the door open. Their apartment basically consisted of two rooms the size of shoeboxes, plus a bathroom and a kitchen, all of which lined up against each other so they were always in each other's business.

Nick straightened up from the floor and glared at him. He was in comfortable nightwear, a t-shirt and a pair of loose, striped boxers, but his cheeks were still smudged with flickers of green glitter, and there was a blooming hickey near his collarbone. "It slipped, all right?" he said defensively, turning back to the stove with their battered frying pan in his hand. "It's not like I was trying to wake you."

"It's eight am," AJ said, almost physically pained. He flopped into their patio furniture and buried his head in his hands. "I was still out four hours ago."

"And I wasn't?" Nick cracked an egg into the frying pan and immediately flew back, flapping his hand and swearing loudly. "Fuck, stupid fucking thing heats too fucking quickly. Look, I made good money last night and I wanted to make breakfast to celebrate with my friend, is that so terrible?"

AJ sighed and looked up, resting his chin in his hand. Outside the morning sunlight glinted and crept along the bricks on the adjoining apartment building. It was the most natural light they ever got in this room.

"You have eyeliner all over your face," Nick said sullenly. AJ turned his gaze back to where Nick was leaning against the counter and rubbing at the flaking glitter on his arm, which AJ hadn't seen before.

"And you look like a princess," AJ replied. He shook his head and heaved himself up from the chair with a light groan. "Come on," he said, grabbing Nick's shoulder and steering him towards the hallway. "You can't cook for shit, and if we're gonna celebrate we should do it properly."

"So who convinced you to get up in drag queen gear last night?" AJ asked, once they were outside and strolling down the quiet streets.

Nick made a half-laugh, half-groan sound and drove his fingers through his hair. "Oh man, this guy. He was so into me being like something out of Velvet Goldmine, he fucking brought the glitter and lipstick himself." He waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever. It didn't get any weirder than that, and I got fifty out of it, so."

"Nice." AJ kicked idly at an empty soda can so it rolled a couple of feet ahead of them. "So we can actually pay Donna this month then."

"Yeah." Nick cleared his throat, and AJ glanced sideways to see him rub the back of his neck. "About that."

AJ stopped abruptly in his tracks, trying to ignore that familiar sense of foreboding he'd come to expect each month. He put a restricting hand on Nick's arm. "What?" he asked warily.

Nick was looking resolutely at his shoes. Then he sighed, and AJ already knew what was coming. "We needed food," he said firmly. "And Johnny's been riding my ass about the money I owe him all week, so…"

"So," AJ repeated. His hand felt heavy suddenly, and he dropped it from Nick's arm and curled it into the pocket of his jacket. "What the hell are we celebrating then?" he demanded, once they picked up their pace again. He kicked the soda can extra hard this time.

"We have real food in our fridge again?" Nick suggested, and AJ hated how Nick always had an answer when he just wanted to be grumpy. "And I still have enough to take you someplace nice for breakfast."

"Well, slap me twice and call me Nancy," AJ muttered, but the way his stomach rumbled at the word 'breakfast' only made Nick snort and throw an arm around his shoulders. He was cursing his betraying bodily functions when he pushed the door open to the diner, the announcing bell chiming happily over their heads.

The place only had five customers scattered along the booths, but it was still early. "Hey, Drew," AJ said, dragging Nick along with him up to the counter. A tall, lanky guy with glasses greeted them both with a broad smile.

"Morning, guys," he replied, sticking a pencil behind his ear. "Two coffees and two eggs over-easy?"

"Nah, man, we're splurging today," Nick said proudly. "We'll have two coffees, an order of waffles and-"

"Two," AJ interrupted, reassuring his growling stomach that food was definitely on the way.

"Right, two orders. And scrambled eggs." Nick reached into his pocket and dug around until he came up with a couple of wrinkled bills. He slid them across the counter, and it occurred to AJ that he couldn't remember the last time they hadn't paid in a mess of coins that they'd had to count up after the check arrived.

The diner was 50's themed, with pastel pink booths and checkered linoleum floors. But the jukebox had nothing but contemporary rock music, everything from Bon Jovi to Led Zeppelin. AJ always enjoyed seeing customers' faces when they realized that they'd stepped into some weird cross between Beauty School Dropout and Welcome to The Jungle. The place didn't get crowded with tourists until mid morning or so, so the booths by the window were free. AJ steered directly for the one in the far corner as soon as they'd gotten their change, the one with the best view over Hollywood Boulevard.

"So what's the plan for today?" Nick asked as he slid into his seat. He was starting to lose that edge of awkwardness that he'd been carrying around since AJ had met him, so for once there was no banging of elbows and knees into table edges.

AJ slumped back and sighed. "What's the plan? I'm going to eat this breakfast that you're so generously paying for, and then I'm going home for at least six hours of uninterrupted sleep." He pointed a finger at Nick. "At least. We have to get some work tonight."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I got you. I'll hook up with Lance for the rest of the day or something." He dragged the salt and sugar dispensers closer and started screwing the lids off. "Man, you'd think you were the one that'd been at this for years."

AJ drummed his fingers against the tabletop and watched Nick sneak a glance at the counter before he poured some sugar into the salt dispenser and vice versa. "I don't know what I'm gonna tell Donna," he muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Next time think before you start gambling with Johnny, all right? He plays a fucking dirty game and no one's gonna tell him he's cheating."

Nick nodded, clearly not listening anymore. He scratched his cheek and glitter drizzled onto the table. "There," he said gleefully, jamming the lids back on and putting them back in their original positions, adjusting them so they both turned labels out.

"We have to use those in a second, idiot," AJ said.

"Relax." Nick gestured to the two small piles he'd made in the middle of the table. "Salt here, and sugar here." He pointed to each, looking more than a little smug. "I got you covered, you know that."

AJ shook his head. "You're twelve," he said, feeling his mouth tug upwards reluctantly. "Seriously. You're gonna get us kicked out of here one of these days."

"No I'm not," Nick said cheerfully, and it was full of that infuriating confidence that reminded AJ why he'd decided to take up with a stranger just because he'd told him that he knew a way AJ didn't have to go hungry anymore.

He was trudging up the stairs to the apartment when he heard what he least wanted to hear.

"AJ!" Donna barked, sticking her head out of her apartment door.

AJ tried not to wince too obviously. Typical, fucking typical, all he wanted out of life was a comfy bed and six hours of peace and he couldn't even get that. He took a second before he turned around on the stairs and flashed Donna a bright smile. "Morning. You're up early."

"Don't even give me that." Donna stepped into the hallway and slammed the door shut after her, one of her rollers unfurling from her hair and dropping to the floor. "You two owe me three weeks worth of rent now, and I can't-"

"I know," AJ said quickly. He took one more step up the stairs. "You'll get them all next week, I promise."

"Oh, you're gonna pull that many tricks in a week then?" she demanded. AJ resisted the urge to frown. "Sorry, I know you guys are popular, but I'm thinking even for you that's a stretch." She started heading for the staircase. "Besides, I'm hearing Johnny's been getting his money from Nick more than once these past couple of months."

"That's not gonna happen again," AJ reassured, his hand sliding slowly up the cracked wooden railing. "You'll get them next week, all right? I'll figure something out. Just, I really gotta go."

"AJ-"

"Next week!" AJ called over his shoulder, taking the next stairs two at a time until he was out of sight.

"Seven days, AJ!" he heard Donna call from the bottom of the stairs. "I'm not kidding!"

AJ closed the door to his apartment behind himself and fell against it with a heavy sigh. His head was pounding, but he couldn't remember the last time they'd been able to afford Advil, so he settled for resting his forehead against the cool wood. He could fall asleep here, he thought to himself, in most ways it'd be a lot easier than dragging himself those four steps through the kitchen to his room.

Comfort won out over the exhaustion though, and he straightened himself with a loud groan that made him grimace to the empty room. "Getting old, McLean," he mumbled to himself. There used to be a time he could stay up for days without feeling like he was ready to keel over.

Not a time that he wanted to go back to, but still.

He rubbed at his itchy eyes and went to the sink to grab a glass from the cupboard. As he filled it with water he felt his chin nodding towards his chest, and when a shock of cold water ran over his hand he jerked upright and saw that the tap was still running so water was pouring over the rim of the glass.

"Shit," he grumbled, snagging the dishtowel that hung over one of the patio chairs. "Perfect." He wiped the glass off and shook his hand dry, wiping the remaining dampness off on his jeans. The water was a light brown color and small specs floated around near the bottom of the glass. AJ sighed. First thing tomorrow, they were getting bottled water again, no matter how expensive.

He shuffled into his bedroom and set the water down on the nightstand before he flopped into bed with a happy sigh. Out on the street, cars were honking and a couple was fighting loudly enough that he could hear it on the third floor. He was vaguely regretful he hadn't remembered to close the window before he got in bed, because there was no way he was getting up again now.

He closed his eyes and let out of a long, drowsy breath. Already the noises outside were becoming more distant, like slowly dissipating foghorns, until a rattle and a chiming from his nightstand woke him up.

He flew up with a start, eyes darting around the room before they landed on his cellphone vibrating and blinking on top of a stack of Sports Illustrated magazines. If looks could kill, it would already have thrown itself up against the wall in a fit of surrender.

AJ fumbled for it and connected the call so he could snap a very heartfelt "What?" at whoever was stupid enough to call him at a harebrained time like noon on a Monday.

"Um." Joey's voice on the other end was clearly amused. "Bad time?"

AJ scowled. "Two seconds," was all he said. "I'm serious. If it's a social call, then yeah, the weather's great today and it really has been a long time and we should totally hang out again soon, I'll call you back in six hours and we'll set something up. But I'm cranky and my head hurts and I need sleep."

"No kidding." Joey didn't sound particularly regretful. "I just wanted to tell you to stop by the bar later. I've got the money I owe you."

"Oh man." AJ rested his forehead against his knees and let out a quick breath of relief. "You have no idea how good that is to hear. Donna was just on my case again and…" He trailed off, then shook his head. "Nevermind. It's just good news."

"I thought it might be," Joey replied, and AJ could almost see his smug little face as he was wiping glasses clean with the phone cradled between his ear and shoulder. "All right, so I should expect you in six hours then?"

"Six hours," AJ muttered with a nod. Even as he said it he let his heavy eyelids fall closed and breathed out through his nose, letting the scritch-scratch house noises fade away again.

"Hang up, you idiot," Joey said, mild fondness seeping through the mirth. "You can't afford to stay on the phone with me while you sleep."

The good thing about living right next to a bar was that AJ was never very far away from potential work. The bad thing about it was that he hadn't actually wanted to see another bar for at least another ten years.

But you did what you had to do, so AJ opened the door to Crazy Daisy's a little after six pm, just barely dodging a man running for the bathrooms with a distinct greenish tint to his skin.

The music was loud and the people even louder. AJ was careful of his new leather jacket as he wove past the tables and huddles of people, their full beer bottles sloshing over their hands as they stumbled into each other. He'd scoured thrift shops for the last six months until he'd finally spotted it hanging on a rack between three brown ponchos and a sixties summer dress. It had a couple of tears in the inside lining, but it was better than trying to sell yourself in a star-studded hoodie that said Camp A-Minor, for teens with dreams, summer '93 across the chest.

Once he'd gotten through the crowd, he nudged in between a bald man drinking by himself and a woman chatting animatedly on her cellphone. He leaned heavily against the bar counter and called, "Joey!", ignoring the man's slow, half-lidded look.

Joey was at the other end of the bar talking to a group of girls, but as soon as he heard AJ's voice he looked over and grinned. He excused himself, and AJ saw the girls glance at each other with small smiles that meant they were all thinking the same thing.

"Right on time," he said as soon as he was within hearing range. AJ grinned back, and they clasped hands over the counter. "If I was the insecure type I'd ask why you're never this precise when we're just hanging out."

"Hey, I showered tonight," AJ said indignantly. "I primped and I tucked and I tweezed. Don't tell me I don't make myself look nice for you."

"Of course, my bad." Joey ducked under the counter and came up with a bottle of Corona and a small stack of bills. "Here you go," he said, handing AJ the money. "And thanks again, man, seriously. You have no idea how much good they did."

AJ rolled his eyes good-naturedly and folded the bills twice so he could stick them into his liner pocket and zip it shut. "Your mom was sick. What was I supposed to do, watch you worry yourself sick from across the country?"

Joey smiled wryly. "The life of a label intern," he sighed, pouring some Corona into a blender. "They're looking again, you know," he added, glancing at AJ as he reached for the ice cubes. "I could put in a good word for you."

The woman next to him shrieked with laughter into her phone and AJ tried his best not to grimace. "Thanks," he said carefully, watching Joey pick out mint leaves from a bowl and drop them into the blender. They didn't have this conversation as often as they used to anymore. "But it doesn't exactly pay the kind of money I get now."

"And yet," Joey said, arching an eyebrow, "you sounded like I handed you a golden ticket when I told you I had money for you."

AJ paused for a moment, considering. "I'm saving," he answered simply, just before Joey started the blender and the whirring drowned out all noise within a two feet radius. Joey just smiled at him again, completely neutral as always.

"Look, I'm gonna get going," AJ said, once the blender was off again. He had to raise his voice, because a group of football fans had decided to stand right behind him and watch the game on the TV hanging over the bar. "But thanks for getting this to me as quick as you could."

"Anytime," Joey said, pouring the blend into two tall glasses.

AJ turned and caught the sitting man watching him again. He was at least fifty, with deep wrinkles on his splotchy forehead and heavy dark circles under his eyes. "Hey," AJ muttered, and the man startled and looked away hastily. AJ put a hand on the guy's shoulder and leaned in. "Come find me later," he said lowly in his ear.

The man just shrugged him off forcefully and picked up his drink, and AJ clicked his tongue with a grin.

He was trying to figure out how to get through the crowd and back outside when Joey called, "Hey, AJ!"

AJ turned around, putting his hand back on the counter. "Yeah?"

Joey topped off a customer's drink and wiped his hands in his apron. "Johnny's been asking about you again," he told him. "Said to tell you to reconsider his offer and that there's still a spot open at the poker table if you want it."

AJ rolled his eyes and rapped his knuckles against the counter. "Tell him he still knows where he can stick his offer."

Joey bit back a grin and tossed a vodka bottle in the air. "Later, babe."

"It's about time you got here," Nick said, leaning back against the brick wall and lighting up a cigarette. AJ popped up the collar of his jacket and went to stand next to him, assuming his usual stance of resting one hip against the wall with his thumbs loosely hanging from his pockets.

"You know it's painfully obvious that you're not inhaling, right?" he pointed out in return. He watched Nick draw from the cigarette and let the smoke out almost the same second, one long stream out the side of his mouth.

Nick waved his hand absentmindedly, and flecks of ash floated to the ground. "Just because I'm not prepared to get lung cancer doesn't mean I can't look good. Don't be jealous." He drew a line with his toe along one of the stars on the sidewalk. "Where were you, anyway?"

"Making sure we don't get kicked out on the street in a week." AJ tugged on the collar of Nick's black tee and grinned when he saw the blooming red mark that he knew would be there. "You had fun with Lance, huh?"

Nick shrugged him off, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he brought the cigarette back up again. "We were bored."

"You're so fucking easy," AJ laughed, shaking his head.

Nick turned his head just in time to blow the last traces of smoke in AJ's face, and he grinned when AJ parted his lips receptively. "Occupational hazard."

When AJ had first met Nick, he'd told him all about respect in their line of work. "Because no one else is going to, so we gotta look out for ourselves," he'd said, pushing what was left over of his waffles across the table. Nick had been here longer than AJ liked to think about, so he had a permanent spot on Hollywood Boulevard that no one else ever ventured to. And if anyone questioned that, or why AJ had been tagging along right from when he'd been the greenest vegetable in the patch, Nick would shrug and say, "You can ask Johnny, if you want."

AJ didn't entirely understand the protective streak that was going on there, because Nick didn't work for anyone, but bringing up Johnny's name usually made people shrink away pretty quickly.

They were always by the corner of an abandoned factory with wooden boards shuttering the windows, shielded from the occasional rain drizzle or gust of wind by the apartment balcony over their heads. There were always gaggles of women in drunken, uninhibited stupors who click-clacked past them in their high heels or, much more frequently, guys in long trench-coats who stared at them for ten minutes from across the street before they made their move. They had business men come by once in while, glancing at them and muttering into their cellphones as they hurried past. Nick was a master at getting them to do the over-the-shoulder-second-glance with his easy smile and his comfortable slouch against the wall that plainly said 'your wife doesn't have to know.'

But tonight was a slow night. AJ glanced disinterestedly at the cars zooming by on the street, the red streaks of light from the neon signs reflecting on their newly done paintjobs, and picked a fleck of black nail polish off his thumb. Suddenly there was a screeching sound, like an engine dying a very painful death, and he looked up again to see a silver Lotus Esprit jumping along the road in little halting motions. The cars behind it were starting on brief, disgruntled honks, and the Lotus eventually seemed to give up and pulled over in jerky motions to the curb a safe distance away from them.

"Typical," Nick said, and he and AJ shared a look. "Why is it always the rich guys that treat nice cars like shit?"

"Yeah, no kidding." AJ rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you think…?"

Nick grinned suddenly. "Hey, go for it. Maybe you'll finally get that ride in a Lotus you've always been talking about." He dropped his second cigarette butt to the ground and mashed it. "Or he'll be the one getting a ride. Either way."

AJ rolled his eyes and pushed away from the wall. "All in a day, right?"

"Exactly. Hey, wait a sec." Nick straightened before AJ could walk too far and looked AJ up and down. He pursed his lips thoughtfully, then reached to tug AJ's collar down and run fingers twice through his hair. "There we go," he said, seemingly satisfied, and smacked AJ's ass lightly. "Take care, babe."

"You too," AJ said, his voice gruff. He dug his hands in his pockets as he approached the car. The lights from the building advertisements shone on the rooftop, and inside he heard a muffled swear and a quick thump. AJ steeled himself - one day this was going to get easier - and tapped on the passenger's window.

There was pause where AJ crouched down and peered inside. Then the window slid down a fraction and AJ reeled back briefly, startled. "Hey," he then said, giving his most winning grin. "Need a hand?"

The guy in the car was young, around his own age, with short tousled hair and an apprehensive look on his face. He was wearing a wrinkled grey suit, with a tie that had been loosened and was hanging crookedly. A cellphone was pressed to his ear, but AJ couldn't hear any noise on the other end of the line. He looked like someone that wasn't quite ready to play dress-up in his dad's closet.

"Uh, no thanks," he said carefully, and AJ noted the southern accent right away. "I'm just - this car…"

"Yeah, you're breaking it really nicely," AJ remarked. "Don't know how to drive a stick, huh?"

Through the crack in the window he could hear faint country music playing. The guy looked down at the stick as if it was a piece of space shuttle equipment. "Not really, no," he said eventually. He glanced at AJ again and shifted in his seat. "Look, no offense, but I'm not really looking for…"

"For?" AJ asked slowly, unable to bite back a grin.

The guy looked him over, almost as if seeking confirmation. "Company," he finished eventually, raising both eyebrows.

"Hey, I'm just offering my services. It's up to you how you wanna take them." AJ held his hands up. "Thirty bucks and I'll drive you wherever you need to go." He braced one hand on the rooftop and leaned in. "Just think of me as a really friendly taxi driver."

"It's nice of you, but I'm fine, really." He held up his cellphone. "I've got it covered."

"What, triple A? Information?" AJ shrugged. "Doesn't matter, you're gonna have trouble getting through to anything at this time of night. Letting me take you will save you a lot of grief, trust me."

The guy frowned a little, and AJ could almost see every possible scenario that flew through his head.

"All I'm carrying is dental floss," AJ said. He grinned again. "You're welcome to search me, if you want."

The guy ran a hand through his hair - chewed down nails, AJ always noticed that for some reason. He looked at the steering wheel uncertainly, then at AJ again.

"Your call," AJ offered eventually. He took a step back. "It just seems to me that you're kind of stuck if you can't drive your car, and this is just guesswork, but I'm guessing you're lost too, because I don't see a Lotus Esprit coming down here too often. But hey, I'm just gonna go back to my friend then. Enjoy your night."

He started backing away, and had just turned around when he heard a car door opening and a quick, "Wait."

AJ rotated around himself and looked back as if surprised. "Me?"

The guy looked mildly exasperated with himself, but slammed his door shut and walked up to AJ on the sidewalk. "Thirty bucks, right?" he asked. He was about the same height as AJ was, and roughly the same build as well.

"Thirty bucks," AJ confirmed. The guy narrowed his eyes a bit, gaze moving downwards, and before he could say anything AJ held his jacket open. "Nothing's gonna fit into these, trust me," he said with conviction, smoothing both hands over his skin-tight jeans. "And besides, it's usually me who has to worry about my 'company' carrying knives in their pockets."

The guy smiled wryly, then held his own blazer jacket open as well. He shook his head. "All right then," he said, tossing AJ a pair of keys with a Lotus key ring dangling from them.

AJ caught them easily, and shot Nick a quick triumphant 'everything's cool' sign before he headed over to the driver's side of the car. "Hey, just so you're not getting in a car with a complete stranger," he said. "I'm AJ."

The guy paused, looking up at AJ over the roof of the car. Then he nodded. "Brian," he replied, and slid into the passenger's seat.

"This car is nice," AJ commented, taking a corner on screeching wheels. A car rounded on the opposite side and honked in outrage, but AJ just looked over at Brian, who was clutching the handle of his car door somewhat desperately. "Yours?"

"No, it's, uh, it's rented." One of Brian's hands flew down to grab on to his seat when AJ narrowly missed a street sign. "You know, you don't have to go so fast," he assured. "I'm not in a hurry to get to anything."

"No, it's totally fine," AJ said readily, stepping down on the speeder to get through a yellow light. "I'm an excellent driver. Me and my friends used to fix up cars from the junk yard and drive races on this abandoned parking lot we had. That's how I know how to drive a stick, too. You just have to make sure to give enough gas when you ease up on the clutch." He rested his elbow on the window edge and got comfortable. "Besides, gotta give you your money's worth, right?"

"Right." Brian didn't sound particularly reassured, but when he laughed a second later it was genuine. "Guess I can always appreciate a good business deal."

"I figured," AJ said, glancing over again. It was quiet in the car for a second before he asked, "So I'm going in the right direction, right? You gotta be somewhere in that cluster of fancy hotels downtown."

"That's a pretty fitting description." Brian glanced out the window. "Yeah, I'm in Beverly Wilshire."

AJ whistled quietly. "Nice."

"They all start to look the same, believe me." Brian turned and gave him a tight smile. He looked AJ over with a hesitant curiosity that AJ always got from the eighteen-year-olds who'd been granted de-virginizing money from their friends. "So," he said, clearing his throat. "AJ, right?"

AJ turned his head briefly and quirked an eyebrow, smiling easily. "You can call me something else if that's what revs your engine."

Brian looked mildly amused. "So, AJ," he repeated. "Do you usually offer rides to people who get lost by your…?"

"My office?" AJ supplied helpfully when Brian didn't go on.

Brian snorted at that, but the sound wasn't mocking. "Yeah," he said agreeably. "Your office."

AJ changed gears. "Hell no," he replied. "I mean, people get lost up there often, but I try to get an hour instead 'cause it pays more. But I don't get to drive a Lotus very often these days, or ever, basically, so I figured why not, you know?"

"Yeah," Brian said. He tried to smooth out the wrinkles in his shirt and shifted in his seat. "So … how much does someone in your profession make these days?"

AJ smiled when he felt Brian's eyes on him. The hotel came into sight and he clicked on the turning signal. "Can't take less than a hundred," he said.

"For an hour?" Brian asked incredulously.

AJ shrugged. "It's a hard-knock life," he replied simply, pulling up in front of the hotel's entrance. The light from inside the revolving doors looked warm and inviting, and AJ could just barely spot the bottom of the large chandelier hanging from the lobby ceiling. The two doormen outside greeted the incoming people with a friendly nod. AJ directed his gaze back at Brian. "And we have arrived," he said.

"What?" Brian blinked at him before he shook himself. "Oh, right. Yeah, of course."

They stepped out of the car almost at the same time. "Here you go, man," AJ called, slamming the door shut and tossing the car keys to a valet who fumbled in the air to catch them. He stared at AJ in surprise, and AJ added, "The clutch is kind of tricky, but just ease up on it at first and you'll be fine."

When he stepped up on the sidewalk Brian was watching him, and AJ straightened himself as subtly as he could. ("Bad posture is bad advertising," Nick had told him once.) He smiled again, halfway, and dug his hands in his pockets. "So," he said.

Brian nodded before he reached into his liner pocket and pulled a couple of bills from a money clip. "Here you go," he said hesitantly, handing them over. "So, yeah. Thanks for the ride."

"Hey, anytime," AJ said, grinning. He did the two finger salute and had taken a couple of steps when Brian spoke up again.

"Do you have enough for a taxi back?" he asked.

AJ glanced over his shoulder, then shifted back on his heel and turned around again. "Yeah, but I'm good," he said. He cocked his head in the direction of the bus stop further down the street. "I kind of like public transportation." And it was a good opportunity to save some money. If he got back to the corner and made nothing all night, at least there was enough to get him and Nick a new light bulb for the bathroom tomorrow.

"Okay." Brian shifted his weight, and AJ thought, maybe. "Okay," he said again. "So."

AJ lingered for a second, unsure, before he laughed under his breath. "Okay," he replied, nodding. He popped his jacket collar up again and went the short way over to the bus stop. At least he had a cool experience to tell Nick now, and maybe if he got back in time to pick up another customer he could be the one to spring for breakfast tomorrow. He perched on the back of the bench and put his feet down on the seat, settling down for a wait. He knew buses around here.

"Nothing yet, huh?"

AJ peered over his shoulder and saw Brian standing a few feet away, a hesitant smile on his face. He'd taken his blazer off and slung it over his arm, and through the thin fabric of his white shirt AJ could see indistinguishable tattoos wrapped around his left arm. "Nah," he said, smiling back. "You always have to wait longer for things than people tell you you do."

Brian exhaled a faint laugh and nodded. His eyes were blue, AJ noticed, just before Brian said, "So … you said a hundred, right?"

AJ's smile broadened slowly as he twisted around and braced his hands on the back of the bench. "I did," he replied.

Brian nodded again, seemingly to himself, and when he looked back at AJ he took a deep breath. "Okay then," he said. "If you don't have any other plans, I was wondering if you would come with me up to my room."

AJ couldn't resist a smirk. "To keep you company?"

Brian's answering laugh was relieved, and he folded his arms over his chest so his jacket disguised him like a shield. "Yeah, exactly."

AJ swung his feet around and jumped off the bench, making it look as casual as he could. He walked up to Brian and said, in a lowered voice, "Then I definitely don't have any other plans."

Brian's eyes flitted over his face. The lights from the hotel façade cast shadows on his face, and AJ remembered seeing that same mixed look of apprehension and anticipation in the mirror a long time ago. "Okay," he said, possibly for the fiftieth time tonight. He gave his jacket a shake and held it out. "You should probably put this on then."

"Oh." AJ looked down at himself, the tight jeans and the black boots and the worn leather jacket, and offered Brian a wry, knowing smile. "Not that kind of establishment?"

Brian looked a little pink around the ears, but his shoulders visibly lowered when AJ took his jacket off and slid into the blazer. "Who knows in Beverly Hills?" he said, smiling when AJ laughed in agreement.

When they went through the revolving doors AJ's steps faltered slowly, and he looked around the extravagant lobby with wide-eyed fascination. The chandelier hanging in the center of the room was roughly the size of a small boat, the light catching in its oval glass ornaments and reflecting in the mirror-bright reception desks. There were thick mahogany-lined pillars forming a direct line to the reception. People were everywhere, chatting guests and busy maids and smarmy receptionists, but the noise wasn't deafening like at the bar, more like a dignified buzzing of voices so the music over the speakers could still be heard. Chopin, AJ recognized, and almost smiled.

Brian turned around when he realized AJ wasn't behind him anymore, giving him a curious look. AJ was vaguely surprised that there wasn't any impatience there. "Swanky," he muttered quietly, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves.

Brian nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah," he agreed, glancing around as well as if seeing it for the first time. "I think I forget to notice these days." He strolled back, and in the electric illusion of candlelight AJ could clearly see the dark circles under his eyes. "Come on," he murmured, nodding AJ along with him.

People were watching him as they went along, elderly women in fur coats darting reproachful glances, and for a wild second AJ almost wanted to toss the blazer off and tell them that they could pay up if they were so into watching. But he needed this money, for Nick as well as himself, so he bit the inside of his cheek and followed Brian up to the reception desk.

"Hey, Howie," Brian said with weary familiarity, leaning up against the counter. "Any messages for me today?"

The guy behind the counter - kind of short, with a navy-colored suit and a phone cradled between his shoulder and ear - turned away from the receptionist he was talking quietly to and gave Brian an acknowledging nod. "Mr. Richardson has called down about five times," he said. AJ noticed the gold-lined nametag that read 'hotel manager' tacked to his chest pocket. His gaze slid over to AJ casually - pretty discreet actually, AJ thought. Better than other hotels he'd been dragged to, at any rate. "He said to tell you to call him the second you got in."

"Sure thing." AJ caught the slight exasperation in Brian's voice, even though his expression stayed perfectly friendly. "Anything else?"

Howie thumbed quickly through a small stack of notes. Next to them two table bells dinged in rapid concession. "No, that's it for tonight."

"All right, then," Brian said. He leaned back and rapped his knuckles lightly against the counter. "I'm turning in for the night. I'd prefer not to be disturbed."

"I'll make a note of it," Howie said, giving AJ another stealthy glance as he filled out a sheet of paper. AJ gave him a smile that showed off all his teeth, and Howie looked down again quickly. "Have a good night."

AJ caught up to Brian on their way over to the brass-covered elevator doors. "Hey, so not that it's my business or anything," he said, pitched low so only Brian could hear. "But is this Richardson your boyfriend or something? 'Cause adding a third person to the party is a bit more-"

"God, no," Brian blurted out once he'd caught on, staring at AJ in mild horror. "No, nothing like that. He's my business partner."

"Oh," AJ said slowly. Brian pressed the elevator button, and the man keeping watch in a chair by the side glanced at him quickly before looking away. "So why's he so desperate to get a hold of you?"

Brian rubbed the back of his neck and barely turned his head. "I sort of left him hanging tonight," he replied, giving AJ a brief, tired smile. "In the middle of some important stuff."

The shiny doors slipped open then, and AJ left it at that. The bellboy inside the elevator stood very still, only moving to give Brian a brief nod and push a number before Brian even had to say anything.

This elevator had seats. AJ sprawled out along the one lining the wall, stretching his legs out comfortably and bending one knee to the side. "You know every single person down there knew what I'm here for, right?" he asked, grinning a little when he saw another flush spread on Brian's cheeks. The bellboy shifted his weight.

Brian, however, kept looking at the ascending numbers above the doors. "People are really happy to talk here," he said eventually. "Might as well give them a reason."

"There are probably cheaper ways to make people gossip about you," AJ pointed out just as the bellboy announced, "top floor, penthouse and entrance to the rooftop." AJ's lips formed a small 'o' as he stood up. "But clearly you don't have any problems finding money lying around."

Brian huffed a laugh. They went out into the hallway, and AJ pretend not to notice the bellboy crane his neck to watch them as the elevator closed with a soft whoosh. Instead he watched in mild fascination as Brian slid the keycard through the slot on the door in front of them, and the small light clicked from red to green. Brian pushed the door open and AJ followed him, tucking his leather jacket securely under his arm.

Inside, two steps led down to an elegant living room area, with couches big enough for ten, maroon cushions and thick, cream-white carpets. Brian tossed his keycard onto the dresser and walked over to the mahogany desk pushed up next to the French doors by the balcony.

The corner of AJ's open mouth tugged up, half confused and half in awe. "What kind of business man are you?" he asked.

"A really good one," Brian replied with a small smile, picking up a stack of letters and thumbing through them. He'd clicked on the small desk lamp and the room was cast in warm shadows, Brian standing in the center of it.

"You can say that again," AJ muttered. He shrugged off the blazer and draped it over a baroque-styled chair, folding up his own leather jacket and leaving it on the back of the couch as he strolled through the room. The dark windows gleamed with the flickering lights of the city beneath them, and when AJ ended up at the balcony he took a step outside. "Wow, check it out," he muttered. "That's a sweet view you got here."

"I'll take your word for it," Brian said. When AJ raised a questioning eyebrow Brian just shrugged. "I'm not really great with heights," he explained without looking up, putting a stack of papers into a drawer.

AJ almost laughed, but he wasn't a complete idiot. Instead he leaned against the doorframe and asked, "Not that it's any of my business, but what are you doing in the penthouse then?"

Brian caught his eye, and seemed to realize where AJ was getting at, because he laughed a little himself and shook his head. "It's the best," he said, after a second's thought.

"Of course," AJ murmured, cocking his head to the side. Brian's smile faded, and he cleared his throat, glancing down again. Wind caught on to the French doors and made them rattle very lightly. The mood was changing, and AJ wet his lips as the silence grew. He went through the catalogue in his head, clever things to say, which cliché worked best on which type of customer. Brian wasn't the type of guy he got picked up by very often. He was guarded, seemingly unsure, and clearly out of his element. The thing that threw AJ off was that he didn't try to hide any of those things.

AJ walked around and over to Brian slowly, sliding into the space between him and the desk and leaning back with calculated moves that exposed his flat stomach, the strength in his hands when he held on to the edge of the desk. Brian's eyes didn't leave him, but he stayed trained on AJ's body rather than AJ's face, and AJ allowed himself a small smile. "So," he said, his voice low and smooth. Careful was the way to go. "You got me here. What do you plan to do with me?"

Brian's gaze lifted to his, the nervous tensing of his shoulders only becoming more prominent. They were standing close enough that Brian could touch him if he just flexed his fingers, but he didn't move. "I'm not sure," he said quietly, after a moment had passed, letting out another small laugh in a clear defense mechanism. "I didn't … exactly plan this."

AJ smiled at that, very lightly. "And you like plans?"

"It doesn't really matter what I like," Brian replied, his voice low. His eyes drifted down along AJ's neck, to his collarbone peeking out of his shirt, hesitant but clearly appreciative. The low light in the room made his eyelids look heavier than they were, and AJ watched as Brian reached a hand out in brief, halting movements, and brushed his fingers over AJ's bare arm. He traced one of AJ's tattoos, and AJ scooted up on the desk and pulled Brian in by the belt loops.

"With me it does," he murmured, and when he looked up Brian's eyes were wide, but they had darkened as well. He traced Brian's belt buckle with the tips of his fingers, but as he went to open it Brian sucked in a sharp breath and reached down to stop him.

"Wait," he rushed out, taking a step back. His hands fumbled to tug his belt back in place. "Can we just … wait on that?"

AJ raised an eyebrow. "Sure," he drawled, and leaned back on his hands, pushing a document up against the edge of the desk. "I mean, it's your money, as long as you know that I'm on the clock here. You sure you don't just want me to give you a nice tucking-in and be on my way?"

Brian didn't answer. For a moment he just watched him, hands at his sides and a considering look to his face. AJ stayed perfectly casual, his legs still lightly spread where Brian had been standing before, and tried not to think about anything.

Then something in Brian's stance shifted, and he stood tall again like he'd done back in the lobby. "How much for the whole night?" he asked.

AJ blinked. "What, staying here?"

"Yeah. Staying here."

AJ sat upright again, more than a little surprised. "You sure you wanna spend that much on something that you can go out and find for free?" It came out of his mouth before he could think about it.

Brian smiled. "Give it a try."

AJ was thrown enough that he had to look away to consider the offer. He could risk getting kicked to the curb if he asked for too much, but then, how often did he get asked to spend more than an hour in the backseat? "Three hundred," he said, his grip on the desk tightening a fraction.

"Done." Brian went over and pulled three bills out of his wallet like it was no big deal, like AJ couldn't cover a month's rent and feed both him and Nick for a week on that. He handed them over and offered a relieved smile. "I'm just gonna make some calls, so go ahead and make yourself comfortable. There's a stocked fridge if you want anything."

AJ looked down at the crinkling money in his hand, then felt a grin spread slowly on his face. "You got it," he said, stuffing the money down his boot and hopping off the desk. He watched Brian pull up the sleeves of his shirt and pick up one of the three phones on the desk. He dialed a number and AJ said, "I'll just be in the bedroom. You can come find me whenever you're done."

Brian glanced at him, and for a moment AJ couldn't even try to guess what he was thinking. "All right," he said, with a brief nod.

AJ went in search of the bedroom just in time to hear Brian say, "yes, hello, can you put me through to Kirkpatrick's room?" The balcony had a good outlook on the rest of the penthouse, and AJ walked over to the far end of the living room and back up the two steps. He opened the door carefully and found, once he hit the light switch, a bedroom roughly the size of his own apartment. There was another chandelier, although smaller than the one in the lobby. It hung from the ceiling, the crystals chiming gently in the breeze from the open window. The bed was big enough for three, with perfect hospital corners and a dust ruffle covering it so it looked like no one had ever slept in it.

To the side there was another door. AJ went through it and found a marble-tiled bathroom, stocked with a hot tub and a wide shower with tinted glass. He went over to the sink and stared at himself in the mirror. Three hundred dollars, he thought, and allowed himself to slump down with relief. They could stay in their apartment now. Maybe, once they'd bought their essentials, he could even spring for something special for him and Nick. A proper kitchen table, for one. It'd have to be second-hand, but that was okay, that was completely okay. Maybe he could even put some money aside, save it in the jar he kept under his bed with 'for the future' written across it.

He could hear Brian talking on the phone in the other room, and AJ pulled out his dental floss from his pocket and used it, quickly and expertly. He spotted an empty glass sitting in a cradle on the wall, and he quickly filled it up with water. Taking a brief look at himself in the mirror, he mussed up his hair and adjusted his clothes, achieving his own favorite tousled look in just a couple of seconds. Satisfied, he went back into the room with his water glass and set it down on the nightstand on the right side of the bed. He could always move if that turned out to be Brian's side.

He heard disconnected words from Brian as he pulled off the bed covers, things like, "no, I hear what you're saying, but," and "we can discuss the offer further tomorrow if that's…" AJ plopped down on the mattress - really soft, wow - and pulled out his cellphone. Got a golden ticket, so don't wait up, he texted quickly and snapped it shut. Keeping his boots off the bed, he bent down and fished out a string of condoms - various sizes, colors and flavors for whatever the situation called for - and put those down on the nightstand next to his phone and his water. He pulled his shoes off one by one - and nearly fell off the bed, they were too fucking tight without a zipper in the side - and scooted back to lean against the headboard. Settled, he sighed and spread out comfortably.

He was watching an old re-run of Step By Step on the huge flat-screen that had appeared out of a TV cupboard when Brian walked into the room. He'd removed his tie so his collar hung loose around his neck, sleeves still pushed up, and as he leaned up against the doorframe he dug his hands in his pockets, looking from the screen to AJ with a small smile. "Good?" he asked casually.

AJ actually felt sheepish for a second. "Already seen it," he admitted, slouching further down on the bed. He bent one leg and let it fall open, tilting his head. "Do you wanna watch it?" he asked.

The colors from the screen flickered over Brian's face, and when canned laughter burst from the TV he didn't move his eyes away. The smile was still there, playing lightly on his lips, and even though he looked perfectly at ease standing there AJ could see the nervous flush spreading on his neck. He wet his lips and met AJ's gaze again, eyes kind and closed off. "No," he finally said, voice quiet, and shook his head.

AJ returned the smile and reached for the remote. Once the TV was off the room was almost dead silent, save for the constant car noises and club music that was a permanent soundtrack to anyone who lived in this city. Brian stayed where he was, most of him shrouded in shadows now, and AJ planted his feet on the floor one by one and stood up. Brian's breathing was an audible thing, too measured to be normal, and when he stepped back into the light AJ could see the worry lines on his forehead. He looked at AJ as if needing conformation, and when AJ started to walk around the bed Brian bowed his head and started unbuttoning his shirt.

AJ took the hint and didn't wait for Brian to come remove his clothes. Instead he pulled his shirt over his head in one sweeping motion, folding it up before he put it down on the chest by the foot of the bed. Brian's moves were clumsy, each button taking several tries before it popped open, and AJ took a step closer.

Back when he still noticed bodies he would've appreciated Brian's. Once he shrugged off his shirt and put it down on a nearby chair, AJ could see the defined muscles that ran along his arms, the wiry strength in him. He had two tattoos on his left arm, a cross perched on a stone amidst crashing waves, and a band of writing that went around his bicep. AJ couldn't make it out, but he supposed he didn't need to. He moved closer still, until they were directly in front of each other and Brian looked up at him. Their eye line was nearly the same, and AJ gave him a reassuring smile.

"You're good, right?" he asked lowly. "You're not - I mean-" He reeled in his surprise and immediately tried to shift approaches in his head. "Is this your first time?"

"No," Brian laughed breathlessly. His nose scrunched up and he seemed to give himself a shake, squaring his shoulders. "Just - first time in a while," he amended, eyes meeting AJ's with regained calmness.

AJ nodded. This time, when he reached for Brian's belt buckle, Brian didn't stop him. "Don't come looking for people like me very often?" he muttered, taking measured steps as he pulled Brian with him towards the bed.

Brian's chest expanded with his heavy breath. "I think I short-circuited tonight," he admitted quietly, like it was a terrible secret he was careful about sharing. His hands settled awkwardly on AJ's sides, holding on until the back of AJ's knees hit the mattress. "I just … I needed something…" His eyes drifted over AJ's body as if it was something foreign, and he went slightly rigid when AJ got his pants open and they fell to the floor. "Different," he finished.

"Lucky for me," AJ murmured, grinning at Brian's startled laugh. He sat down on the bed and grabbed Brian's hips, pulling him in closer. "What do you like?" he asked against the warm skin of Brian's stomach.

He heard Brian's soft exhale as well as felt it. Fingers tangled in his hair, threading through it with hesitant little movements as AJ's lips drifted down to Brian's navel. "What do you do?" he asked, and his voice had dropped suddenly, gone low and his accent thick.

AJ looked up and shrugged. "I don't kiss on the mouth," he said, skimming his fingers along the waistband of Brian's boxers. "Other than that, anything's fair game."

Brian looked gaunt from this angle, the shadows moving over his sharp face as he swallowed audibly. "Okay," he said, nodding, his fingers drifting down the side of AJ's neck.

AJ smirked, just a little, and leaned back on his hands. "Are you attracted to me?" he asked bluntly, spreading his legs and pulling Brian in with his heels.

Brian breathed a laugh and leaned down, bracing himself with his hands on either side of AJ's torso. The muscles in his arms flexed, and when he smiled it wasn't the least bit shameful. "Yeah," he muttered, eyes raking over AJ's body more confidently this time.

"Oh, good," AJ said cheerfully, lying down flat and pulling Brian on top of him. Brian oomphed in surprise, and AJ grinned, rolling on top of him easily. "Trust me, that makes this a lot more fun."

Part Two