Knight in Shining Armor: The Sequel!

[ketchupkaper]

WHO: Marcello and Otto
WHEN: April 3rd, technically. After midnight.
WHERE: Chueca
WHAT: In which a Seborgan is rescued by a German. Deja vu much?

Comments

[ter_in_die]

It's late, he shouldn't be out so late. He had a routine where he woke up at 7:10AM to an alarm clock set in his head for 7:00AM. Going out this late presents a problem: if he were to sleep now, he would only get 6 hours of sleep. He'll be tired for the whole day. And what happens if he made a call to the wrong artist? Or worst. What if he accidentally suggested a stupid idea to his boss?

Otto quickened his pace. This is why he doesn't go out much but he had promise himself that he would, just for a bit. Go out and do things instead of just reading and collecting dust in his quiet apartment. So he went to Gallery square, explored the shops and crevices, dipped his hands in the local life. It was nice. It was nice until he got into all inquisitive and questioned a shop owner on why the prices of coke is more than that of the fruits. Economics was not his major and he did not understand why the supply would depend on the demands. He just knows coke makes him feel ill. He can't see any justification behind their prices.

Only good thing about this is he happened to walk pass a bar. No, the deafening music and the alcohol were not his thing. But saving people? It's listed as no.3 on his list of hobbies.

He heard struggling and goes to investigate. He's not a nosey person, Otto's just curious. There's a difference. And this time, his curiosity was rewarded. That teenager needed help and Otto, being the good Catholic man he is, is more than willing to help his neighbours against evil drunkards. He approached them and says in his father's blooming military voice, “Step back and get your hands off him right now. Or we can test the police response time.”

He takes out his phone and puts the sound of the dial tone on speaker. Surprisingly, the sound doesn't get cancelled out by the bar's music and he hears the police emergency line on the other end clearly.

sorry for the wait! this post is the suck... Dx

[ketchupkaper]

One man turned to Otto while the other kept Marcello restrained in a rather uncomfortable position. "Is that so? Just what kind of weak threat is that?" He glanced back at Marcello, sneering. "Is this your man? Really? Tch." He scoffed and gestured to the other drunkard. "Let's go. These guys are too pathetic…not even worth it."

Marcello exhaled and blinked as the man released him and took a step back. "My..m-my what?" He repeated.

But the man didn't respond and only gave him a playful touch on the chin before joining the other on the way out of the alley. Otto received a firm shove as she passed but soon they were gone.

For a moment, there was silence, and the two were just left looking at one another. Then finally, Marcello spoke up again. "U-um..what just.. Did you just save me?" He blinked at the blonde, his mouth slightly agape. "Why...? And who are you anyway?"

pft no worries ♥ have a drive by tag

[ter_in_die]

Otto remained firm and steady until the men left their sight. Then his shoulders slumped and he released a sigh. He apologized and thanked the officer at the other end then slid his phone shut. Thankfully that weak threat worked, he wouldn't have held up in a fight against three bigger guys.

"Save you?" He blinked slowly at Marcello then gave him a wary smile, "I suppose I did just saved you. I hope that's alright. I-" He unconsciously tugged at his cuffs and stepped closer to Marcello.

"I'm Otto. I was just passing by when I heard you. Are you. Are you okay?" He examined the other's face and looked for signs of injury. When he was relatively certain that there weren't any, he noticed the wayward strand of hair. He blinked and thought, how odd. He couldn't place what was so odd about it.

[ketchupkaper]

"Pfff! It's more than alright! I owe you one! They looked like they were going to eat me for dinner."

When Otto stepped closer into the light cast by the lantern by the back door, Marcello's eyes widened. He was very handsome and...sort of familiar somehow.

"Otto..." He repeated the name to himself trying to see if it rang any bells, but nothing came up. Pushing the thought aside, he chirped in response, not wanting to worry the man. "Call me Marcello. And I'm fine! Not hurt at all, just a little violated." He chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets casually.

"Hey, you should let me get you a drink or something as thanks. Does that sound okay? It is, right? Come on." And with that he opened the door and walked back in the mess of noise and bodies cloaked in darkness and flashing lights, going slowly so that Otto may follow. "My break is up but I don't want to just abandon you out there after you helped me, you know?"

[ter_in_die]

"It's f-" He doesn't even get the rest of his sentence in and Marcello already disappeared back into the building. Otto stared at the entrance and vivid descriptions of Hell preached to his daily life came back in a breath. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and rid himself of those thoughts quickly. He's beyond that. He is.

A deep breath in and a long exhale, and then he's inside the club. Filtering through the club was almost like an assault to all his senses. He could barely breathe, his sight came and go with the flashing lights, and every where he turned there was something, someone, bumping into him. He reached out in front of him and clutched on to Marcello's shoulder, stalling the other's movements as he leaned in and spoke against his ear in fear that that noise would drown his voice out.

"Marcello. Thank you, but if you're okay, then I'll be fine. You don't need to get me anything."

[ketchupkaper]

Marcello turned around, looking a bit surprised. "Really? Are you sick or something?" He looked around for a moment, looking for Liz. "You know, I feel a little weird myself after that thing with those guys back there. And I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to go tell my boss that I'm leaving."

He moved away towards the back room a bit before stopping to look back for a moment with a wink. "Don't worry. I don't care if she gets mad. I'm the charming one!" And with that he disappeared into the crowd for a moment to explain to a displeased Hungarian woman what had happened. He returned quickly with his jacket and two bottled waters. "Okay, come on! Let's go!" He chirped and he led the way out the door.

"Here." He handed a bottle to Otto as they were back in the quiet evening air and heading toward the street. "I grabbed you something anyway. You know, just in case you got thirsty." He unscrewed his and took a sip.

"The thing I was most afraid of when I took this job was walking home alone." It was more of a quiet afterthought as the headed down the sidewalk. And it wasn't that Marcello was afraid of danger, but the dark did tend to make the feeling of loneliness all the more apparent. He was glad to have Otto with him, even though they'd just met.

[ter_in_die]

He was reluctant to let go of Marcello's shoulder because the last time he was in setting like this, things didn't go too well for him. But he convinced himself, as he watched Marcello go, that this was nothing. There's nothing to fear; people are people and people have urges. Dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire, he muttered to himself quietly and kept his eyes on the ceiling in favor of the wriggling mess of bodies in front of him.

When they were out of the building, Otto relaxed up considerably. He takes the bottle with a tiny grateful smile. "Danke schön." He grumbled at himself for the slip in German but kept an ear on what Marcello was saying.

"You have every right to be afraid, considering what just happened." He frowned in concern. He knows its late but if Marcello was expressing such a thought, clearly he needed to walk the boy all the way home. "If you don't mind, I can walk you home."

Not that Marcello really would have had a choice. Otto would have followed him home until he was sure that he was safe. It's not creepy. It's a fellow citizen's duty! Yeah.

[ketchupkaper]

Marcello smiled at the offer. "You don't have to if it's out of the way, but I'd like it. It's more fun to walk together, right? I'm staying with a friend over at Ocean View Apartments. It's not all that far."

They passed an old music store that looked like it had been converted from an old Victorian home. Marcello glanced at it, admiring it absent-minded as silence fell between them. Then suddenly the sprinkler system popped out from the grass and sprayed in every direction, soaking them with a misty spray.

"Gah!" Marcello took cover on the other side of Otto, clinging to his sleeve. "Why do they always set this stuff to go off at crazy hours?"

[ter_in_die]

Otto frowned and ushered them out of the sprinker's shooting range. "They don't expect people to loiter in their lawns at this time. And you can look later, Marcello. Your clothes are wet."

He sighed. It wasn't cold in Liberty, not like Aachen around this time; but without the sun and the night time wind, the wet clothes they had on were bound to cause a shiver, a cold or in Otto's case, a potential bug. He took off his white button up and left his simple and relatively dry white tee on because he was not going to risk getting sick over something so little. Otto ruffled his hair dry with the shirt and turned to Marcello.

"D-Do you want me to dry yours too? I don't wear a lot of cologne, so it won't make you smell." Otter offered, then pressed his lips in a thin line. He always lays on the same precautions and forgets that not everyone gets sick as easy as him. He held up his shirt for Marcello anyway and looked off to the side, a light flush on his cheeks.

"I live in Ocean View too. So we'll be walking the same way. We'll both be home but you should dry yourself. Just in case."

[ketchupkaper]

Marcello blinked and watched Otto fuss with himself with a flicker of fascination. "Wow. You sure like to keep dry." He blinked again as Otto offered to dry him, this time a bit more out of confusion.

"Um..that's okay. I don't mind being a little wet, I guess. It's refreshing!"He shook his hair like a dog a little though, since it was dripping. He paused. "You wear cologne? Really? Let me smell..." And with that the took the shirt into his hands, pressed it to his face and inhaled. "You're right though. I can barely smell it." He looked up at Otto again. "Do you wear it for your girlfriend or something? You're lucky!"

He beamed. "And hey bene! If you're in Ocean View too we should hang out sometime."

[ter_in_die]

"I. The best strategy for anything is precaution. You should be careful too. It's not exactly warm enough outside for this kind of... thing." He was not lecturing. Or at least, he was trying not to lecture. Somehow, it still sounded a bit like it. He sighed quietly and shook his head slightly, "No, I do not have girlfriend."

He proceeded to take his shirt back and ruffles Marcello's hair dry quickly. Yes, he didn't have permission but, it's really for Marcello's own good! Otto does not see what's wrong with that. When he was done, he resumed walking and paced himself a step ahead of Marcello. Because he is awkward.

"We. We could. If you'd like. Come on, we don't want to worry your friend." He almost smiled at that; it was good to know that he knew someone outside of work.

[ketchupkaper]

Marcello didn't mind the man's lecturing. In fact, it probably went right in one ear and out the other. He was the kind of person to have selective hearing sometimes. Instead, he pressed on the issue of girls and girlfriends.

"That sucks. I don't have one either." He paused at his statement. "Well, there was one girl, but I think she was more of a girl who was a friend…or something. I'm not sure. But anyway, she's gone now."

Marcello almost flinched when he felt the man's shirt suddenly pressed to his head and now drying his chestnut locks until they were nothing but an unruly clump. "Uh…grazie?" Marcello wasn't sure what else to say to that action.

He combed his hair straight again with his fingers as Otto hurried a few paces ahead, watching the man's back for a moment as they walked. He looked a bit handsome from behind. Was it a hint of jealousy the younger was feeling right now, or something else? Whatever it was, he shook it off pretty quickly.

"Oh don't worry about him." Marcello chirped, a smile resurfacing. "He works nights too so he's probably not home. You should come over and watch monster movies or something. I need to cook you something for saving my life anyway, right?"

[ter_in_die]

He could only smile at Marcello's offer. He appreciated the gesture much more than he lets on. It warmed him to know that such kindness exist in a city like this, where he's still new and alone. He slowed his pace to walk beside Marcello as they neared their apartment building and nodded.

"That would lovely, grazie mile." said Otto, a smile on his lips go to with the thanks. "I can help you too, if you want an extra hand."