dachsbuns | [Closed] @eidxiety ††

[Yes he will. Somehow, even without contact, he knows he's going to kill them both trying to dance. It is simply inevitable. But even as he's struggling and soft of flopping around like a dead fish, Ain is...laughing. Unlike those times before when he seemed so small, nervous, and unsure, all of a sudden he is the one in his element. His smile lights up the entire room and energizes the other patrons to dance even harder, cheering with excitement as their feet hit the floor and yet more people come up to dance with them. Even with the rain making it dreary outside...the inside of the diner is positively hopping, thanks to Ain.

And Wolfwood tries to move along with him, completely struck by it all. He feels a little silly at first, but given the fact that barely anyone is left sitting at this point, he's less insecure about making mistakes. He follows Ain's lead as best he can, kicking out his heels and nearly slipping on the linoleum a few times as he goes.

He and Ain spin around in unison and he very nearly falls over in the attempt, yet when they meet back in the middle, Wolfwood is...smiling. Laughing.]

[Ain does that soccer mom reflex of trying to catch Wolfwood before he goes down, but luckily he doesn't, and so spinning and flailing will continue, at least until the next set of upbeat songs are over. Wolfwood may have two left feet, but Ain does not. Ain may not be allowed to go to jaunty parties or anything, but he sure has seen dancing on TV and stuff, and he sure picked it up from there.

It's more fun with others. With a friend. Are he and Wolfwood friends? Maybe he'll ask later.

For now: Twirling. Dancing. Spinning, having fun, laughing boisterously. The jukebox eventually does switch to something that requires something a little calmer, and so Ain switches to the twist afterwards, especially because that's less energetic and he's out of breath after like, seven minutes of doing this. The Charleston burns calories like that.

So, while they're doing something easier...]

How do you expect to get a girl if you can't even dance?

[Well that's the thing, Ain. He does not. And neither do you, frankly.]

[Wolfwood has no reason to be this out of breath by the time they're dancing more slowly, especially in his line of work, but he is. Maybe it's because he's just worked up right now, but...ugh. It's...sure something, but he's not sure if he can put his finger on it just now.]

Haha...is dancing the secret?

[He almost seems to be asking this genuinely as they dance, kindof surprised by just how many people Ain has managed to coerce into dancing with them. Like sure, there were a lot of people up here to begin with, but still.

He doesn't know the twist either, unsurprisingly, but this one seems simpler than the Charleston. It's easier to copy Ain's movements, anyway.]

I dunno! [Ain chirps, watching Wolfwood... try his best out here,] But you've got two left feet, and someone's gotta teach you to dance, or you won't hook anybody.

[Aww Ain that's so cute that you think that. Keep telling yourself that buddy.]

I'm pretty sure that's how it works! Not that I'd know for sure, haha!

[Really, with a laugh and a smile like Wolfwood's, it wouldn't matter if he could or could not dance at his own wedding. Someone would love him anyway. Someone...

...probably a real nice girl. Ain's eyes are staring directly at the cross again and watching it clink against Wolfwood's skin. Jesus save him, he's feeling a little weird.]

[Wolfwood huffs, for once not paying attention to where Ain is looking as they dance.]

You say you don’t know, yet you’ve somehow got half this building dancing.

[He doesn’t think Ain realizes how naturally charismatic he is. He makes you want to know him…and suddenly, Wolfwood is feeling like maybe he lucked out, saving that lost looking guy in the market last weekend.

As the song starts to change once more, Wolfwood…reaches out on impulse, taking Ain’s hand and twirling him around to the tune of more cheering and clapping from the other bystanders.]

Y’see? Think you’re the bees knees, they do.

Aww, but they're not dancing because they're into me.

[Don't be so sure, Ain, you could charm the pants off of anyone here right now. He... doesn't know, of course. He's just having fun. He's laughing for what feels like the first time in a long time. He's not as annoyed as he tends to be when he goes home. It's... nice? It's nice.

Wolfwood twirls him, and Ain has the distant thought that if he was wearing one of those poodle skirts, it would've flared up and hit Wolfwood in the legs. ...well anyway we're gonna compartmentalize that, too, even as Ain spins back around and faces Wolfwood again.]

I ought to show you swing dancing some time. You're getting this much down pretty quick!

[Ain doesn't dare get too close. Something in the back of his mind stops him from putting his hands on Wolfwood's shoulders, or trying to spin him back. He can't pin it. Social anxiety, maybe.]

Maybe not. But it's still more than I've seen most people be able to do in this town.

[Granted, the people aren't, like...mean? Or standoffish really? And you see this diner hopping fairly regularly on the weekends. He does mean it when he says that Ain is making a considerable difference though, given the fact that even the shyer looking folk seem encouraged to get up and dance, even if it's not quite as front-and-center as he and Ain somehow became.

He snorts at the thought of Ain teaching him to dance, for real. With what time? And when? It's almost like he's suggesting...

...h m.]

S'that mean you're planning on coming back here again?

[At some point, they're gonna have to sit down again. They need to pay their tab and Ain needs to sit for a spell before he has to run through the rain to flag down a taxi. Maybe he'll start to move away from the floor now, actually, since the jukebox is playing something slower and the thought of slow dancing is—

Well. He looks at Wolfwood and Wolfwood is A Man so they can't. That's really all there is to it.]

Haha, I guess so. I've... been having a lot of fun with you.

[He strays back to the booth and sits down. There's a cheque on the table for them to pay; Ain fishes his New wallet out to grab some bills.]

I don't think I've ever had so much fun, at least not in the last several years. ...are we friends now? Can I call you my friend?

[Yeah, most of the people who remained by the jukebox are couples. All straight couples (or straight passing, at the very least), because it's the 50s and this isn't a gay bar. Wolfwood lingers for a brief moment as Ain walks back towards the booth ahead of him, watching for a few seconds before he follows him over.

He notices Ain pulling out his cash, so he'll do the same himself. He doesn't pay for Ain, but he will pay his own tab. Going Dutch on a first date seems reasonable I mean-

With a soft laugh under his breath, he sits back down as they wait for their waitress to return to collect their payment.]

Friends? ...yeah. Guess I can swing that.

[Ain was just kindof this shrimpy guy he saved at the market. He never thought he'd really see him again after that, yet...here they are. Wolfwood doesn't really have many friends outside of the family either, so it's a new one for him too.]

Any time you're down south, I'll keep an eye on you.

[Ain's poor little Catholic heart is going to stop when he finds out gay bars are real and people just do that. You can kiss boys? What the fuck...]

Ginchy. I'll come back some time. If you lurk around the same spots, it'll be easy to find you.

[The cash is on the table. They could just leave. It's the normal thing to do. Ain shouldn't want to linger too long. Someone else could use this table, and their dinner is done, but...]

Did you walk? Haha, it looks like it's raining pretty hard...

[Yeah sorry Ain. There are gay people in this town. They exist.

There also were probably A Lot of gay boys at your Catholic boys only school. They were born there.

Wolfwood swings to his feet, grabbing a toothpick from a container off the table to jam between his teeth.]

Nah, I drove. My car's parked a little up the street.

You took a taxi, right? [...] I could just drop you off at your place, if you want.

[You know if Ain is fine with Wolfwood seeing that he's part of the Ishmael family.]

[By the time Stonewall hits it'll be national news that gays are bred in Catholic schools. Ain's one of the shier gays who refused to take his clothes off in the gym locker rooms, as discussed, but others were not like this. This is how the LGBTs can still win.]

Haha... Why not take me to the mid-point of town? [You know. Neutral Territory™. Where there's kind of a melting point of the rich and the poor, the greasers and the devout Catholics. The economic and religious divide is a lot less obvious there. This is a huge town.] There's a stop there. I wouldn't want you to...

[Find out that he's from a mafia family. Not that the average person knows where the Ishmaels live, but... what if?]

...people up north can be judgmental. I can be judgmental. I wouldn't want you to catch flak.

[Hm. A bit of an odd request initially, but after thinking about it for more than half a second, Wolfwood gets what he's saying. They're both from very different worlds, obviously, and mafia relations or no...they'd potentially turn unsavory heads. The last thing he wants is to draw more trouble to Ain just for being who he is.]

Alright. I'll bring you to a bus stop, then. Just so you don't gotta take a taxi.

[Ain has a bus pass, right. Surely he's not so rich that he doesn't-]

We'd better get going now if we want to beat the worst of the rain, though. ...actually.

[As he starts for the exit, he shrugs off his leather jacket, shaking it out a bit before he drapes it over Ain's shoulders.]

Pull this up over your head if it starts to pour pretty bad. A little water ain't the worst thing this jacket has seen.

[The worst is usually blood-

Said jacket smells very strongly of cigarette smoke, but also...sandalwood. It's cologne.]

[Oh. Oh...

The acrid tang of cigarette smoke is incredibly obvious on this, but it's also warm, and that underlying scent of cologne... Ain tries not to make it obvious that his face is red as he pulls the leather coat closed around him.]

I have my cardigan, so I'm fine...

[But his voice dies in his throat, and he moves to shoulder the door open instead. It's pouring outside. No matter where Wolfwood parked, they're going to get half-soaked on the way.]

So. Are we running? Or are you more of a leisurely walk through a storm sort of guy?

We're running. Think you can keep up?

[He huffs on a laugh as they head outside, briefly protected underneath an awning. Wolfwood's car is a ways off, so...yeah, there's no way they're not going to get wet. Ain, at least, will be able to save his hair if he utilizes Wolfwood's coat properly.]

C'mon!

[Either way, he bolts out into the rain without preamble, expecting Ain to follow after him.

About a block from the diner on the side of the road sits a jet black chevy. Wolfwood practically slams into it as he slides on the sidewalk, punching his key into the lock and flinging open the passenger door so Ain can scramble inside before he does the same on the other, very nearly getting hit on the road as he gets in the other side. Hopefully Ain didn't see him flipping that guy off.]

I'm great at running!

[This is both true in the athletic and the "I have problems and hide from them" sense. Anyway, off into the rain they sprint, and Ain is only a few paces behind Wolfwood the entire time. The leather coat does get pulled up over his head about ten seconds after they begin, as the rain starts to soak his curls and the collar of his shirt, and it does its job well enough. It's difficult to run out here with his arms over his head, shoes splashing in the puddles, the ends of his jeans getting soaked through... but he manages, literally sliding to a stop in the car and throwing himself into the passenger-side seat.

He doesn't see Wolfwood flipping a guy off. He's too busy laughing again, taking off the wet leather coat and folding it in his lap...

...how soaked is Wolfwood's shirt, how transparent is that shit, is Ain about to have a moment.]

[Oh, it is a wet t-shirt contest up in here. Wolfwood was not protected from the rain at all, so his button-down got soaked through. It clings to his chest, as does that cross necklace Ain noticed from their first meeting. He drags a hand through his damp hair, sighing as he rummages for paper towels from his glove box.]

Remind me to put an umbrella in this thing...you didn't fall back there, didja?

[The laughter just sort of... stops, when Wolfwood climbs into the driver's seat.

Ain does not answer the question at first because he's too busy Staring again. Jeeeesus Christ. Wolfwood has to be showing off that he's jacked because he wants Ain to feel insecure or something, right? Like an alpha male type of mentality? "I'm more muscular than you and women love that"... that or he's trying to impress the girls walking down the street (with their umbrellas, meanwhile these two are running in the rain, yeah no). Or he's... Ain doesn't know, he's showing off in general, not for any reason but just because. That button-down is way too tight. He's soaked. Isn't he cold? He's probably cold. Ain should give him his jacket back...

...]

Huh... oh, no. [And he is Ripping his eyes away and putting them on the dashboard.] I nearly did, haha, but I caught myself at the last second. I'm okay!

[Well don't look now Ain, Wolfwood is reaching for your face with a dry paper towel to wipe it off like you're twelve, seemingly not noticing the fact you've been ogling his wet chest this entire time.]

You sure did get soaked, though. Didn't I tell ya to use the jacket?

[He chuckles, cranking the car next so he can turn on the heat.]

Better hope that bus stop has a roof on it, it's still coming down out there.

[Oh no. Ain's face is burning hot now. He wants it to be because of the storm and the cold, but that's not quite it, is it? Surely it's just because Wolfwood is embarrassing him by wiping his face off for him. He's not a child! He's an adult person, he...

Opens his mouth to say something, but all that slips out is the most nervous-sounding laugh. What's wrong with him tonight?]

I think it does. It's one of those with a roof over it. [You know, the fancy ones, even if the seats are still uncomfortable.] I know the way, so I can help direct you there.

Good deal. Here, take these, I need to drive.

[Throws the paper towels into his lap as he starts to pull out. He parallel parked some-fucking-how, so this might take him a minute.]

Glad you had a good time though, even if you got wet in the end. [P...Phrasing? Phrasing.] I dunno how far your place is from that bus stop, but if you need it, you can borrow my jacket. I don't care.

[...okay, Ain will take these. He sort of idly dries the water from his hands and squeezes his hair out into them, even though he's likely to get wetter later. The phrasing goes completely over his head. He's too busy focusing on the offer to just borrow Wolfwood's jacket?]

Oh, um...

[His family would skin him if he came home wearing a leather jacket that smells like cigarettes. He'd be accused of all manner of things, and Ain has a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach just thinking about it. Sinful, shameful behaviour. Smoking. Going to the poor side of town with the degenerates and lawlessness...

He brushes a thumb over the wet collar of it.]

...won't... won't you be cold without it...?

[Ain...really should come up with an excuse as to why he can't take the jacket. Right?

Right?

Wolfwood, meanwhile, carefully backs into the street before finally pulling off, leaning against the window the way Lawless Degenerates do, looking over at Ain out of the corner of his eye.]

Nah, I'm made of tougher stuff than that. Just make sure it comes back to me clean, alright?

[He winks at him as he says that, like, what do you mean Wolfwood-

Wolfwood...just wants an excuse for Ain to HAVE to see him again. There's genuinely no other reason, because otherwise he'd never let this jacket out of his sight. It has Chapel's crosses on it after all, the ones on the sleeves...but since they look like normal crucifixes, Ain would be fine so long as he didn't wear it in this part of town.

Not that Wolfwood imagines he'd wear it in public. Certainly not up north, he'd have to be insane to do that.]

[Ain is gonna notice those crosses later and be like "uhhhhhh I'msureitsfine". Like that's a coincidence. They sell cross cufflinks in stores! It's a fashion choice! And Wolfwood is too sweet to be part of Chapel's crew. Black and white. Easy.

He needs to find a way to say no. The thing is... This weird part of him, the part that was flushed when Wolfwood twirled him on the dance floor and the part that keeps staring at the way that choker lines his neck, and the worse part that can't stop staring at his chest... That part wants to keep it for a while. Ain's tracing the stitching of the leather now, careful not to dig his nails in too sharply, lest he scratch the material somehow.]

It won't get dirty. [Whatever meaning was there completely goes over Ain's head.] I'll just feel bad for leaving you in the cold, haha. You haven't left anything in the pockets, have you?

Mmm...some coins? Candy maybe? If you find any, you can have it.

[I'll let you decide whether or not Wolfwood accidentally leaves his cigarette lighter in one of the pockets. Ain can have a heart attack over that, too, otherwise it will just be in his pants pockets like a normal person.

The bus stop is, unfortunately, not too far of a drive. They won't have much longer to talk, which prompts Wolfwood to cock his head to the side.]

How about we meet at the park again. This time next week? You can give it back then.

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