fourstrings | When the world is too dark

When the world is too dark

[ The Evergreen has a strong no-assholes policy. This is undermined somewhat by the fact that Nick basically runs it now, but it means he can use himself as a gauge. If anyone’s a bigger asshole than he is, they get kicked out.

Steve is the kind of asshole who should have been kicked out way earlier. That’s on Nick. He was over-cautious, cut the guy too much of a break, because running this bar is the only thing that has him making enough cash to keep up with his responsibilities. He’d worried that word would get around that The Evergreen wasn’t a friendly place anymore, and he’d ruin the reputation Al had carefully built up for it over the years, drive customers away. And it’s not just because Al’s basically promised him the place and it’s his future he’s gambling on, but respect for Al. He built Nick sure as he built up this bar, and the very least Nick can do in return is not tank it. And in fairness, Steve had started slow: the kind of coarse jokes that are mean instead of funny, taking sly digs at people. Way too much flirting with women beyond the point it became clear that they didn’t want to be flirted with, at least not by Steve. Nick finally found his balls the night he’d rounded the corner to check there was enough paper in the johns and seen Steve caging a girl in against the wall, face leaning in even though hers was twisted adamantly away. He’d grabbed the man by collar and belt with no regard for the fact that Steve had a good three inches and 20 pounds on him, marched him out the door, and told him not to come back, ever.

Which means that Steve is now going on the Wall of Shame, and he’d been such a dick about it Nick wants to make it a special occasion. There’s a little florist across the street that’s probably gonna close down any day now, judging by the amount of foot traffic they get, so before opening the next day Nick heads over to give them a little last bit of support. There’s a little bell that rings cutely as he pushes the door open, a blast of welcome cool, fragrant air, and… the most beautiful man he’s ever laid eyes on behind the counter. Blond hair in one of those trendy cuts that look goofy on most people that aren’t pop stars but somehow suits him just right, big eyes shaded with long lashes, a sweet little beauty mark.

Nick stops dead just inside the door, confident that if he takes one more step without preparation he’s gonna trip over his own feet. ]

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[ Oh.

Vash is looking at his chest area and blushing. And Nick isn't working. Does he dare? He does! He lets his eyes travel slowly over Vash's tall frame, and hums. ]

Maybe, but the view's excellent.

[ OH WAIT! He hoists a large bag of stiff brown paper, folded neatly at the top. ]

Lena says hi. I dunno if you had plans for dinner, but I told her how much you liked her burger and she started preening.

Seriously? You're my hero!

[ there's a second where vash is tempted to plant a kiss on his cheek, just... because it makes the joke extra funny! no other ulterior motives! ... but he also just invited the guy inside, and there's gotta be some kinda rule about that. ]

C'mon, we can eat on the couch.

[ a little tug on wolfwood's wrist to make sure he's following, then vash is bounding down the hall. the apartment is huge, the foyer spilling into an open floor-plan living space that combines a designer kitchen with the living room. vaulted ceilings make room for wall-to-wall windows that look out over the city below, and the room is crowned by a giant, squishy sectional set up around a stupidly huge TV. and all the expensive finishes might be enough to make the place look cold, but everywhere, there's plants. tucked into the corners, blooming cheerfully on the countertops, spilling down the hallway in a wall-mounted garden. almost like a greenhouse exploded in the place, or someone's done their damndest to see about retheming it to a jungle. ]

[ Nick looks around.

He looks, and he looks, and he looks.

The plants, at least, are exactly what he expected. A riot of green and living things, happy to provide beauty in exchange for water and care. Everything else is...

a lot. He whistles. ]

Is Seeds like... a pet project? Hobby in your downtime, maybe?

[ for his part, vash doesn't notice. he's too busy flopping back onto the sectional with an oof and then digging the remote out from where it always ends up buried in the seat cushions.

that, though. he blinks, looks up. ]

Huh? No, why?

[ He follows, 'cause he might be overwhelmed but he's not rude. Not unless it's on purpose, anyway. The sectional is fucking gigantic, which means there's a whole lot of mental calculus to do on where to sit. Too far away and it's cold, too close and it's presumptuous. Where he'd like to sit is in Vash's lap. He settles for next to him, less than an arm's length away. ]

Just wondering if you're a secret billionaire heir or something. It's not a front, is it? Not that I care, but it does mean I probably shouldn't come visit when I'm meant to be at work.

[ Nick you shouldn't be doing that anyway. ]

[ that... is too far away!!! ]

I dunno, I could be! [ and he's officially too busy trying to close the gap between them to realize what wolfwood is actually getting at; scooting slowly, the way a cat does when it wants to climb on your lap and is trying for stealth. ] It'd be a pretty good secret, though.

[ he doesn't even know who his parents are!!!!

but, wait. oh! ] Ohhh, you mean -- [ a general wave around them. ] -- 'cause of this?

Nah, my brother just works a big-wig job.

[ That wig must be Dolly Parton big, 'cause wow. But he notices the scooting, gives a crooked little smile, and also scoots until their sides are touching.

Perfect. ]

Glad to know it's your brother. My next question was gonna be whether you have a rich husband I need to worry about.

[ his heart does a stupid, happy little flutter when wolfwood scoots to meet him, bold enough to lean until he's slouching his weight into the other man's side.

perfect. ]

That was your guess, and you came over anyway? [ grinning up at him. ] Bold.

What can I say? The risk seemed worth the reward.

[ He's joking (mostly) - he hadn't realized just how swanky the address was until he stepped inside. But now that Vash is leaned up close like that? Yeah, it would have been worth it. He grins back. ]

I can't fake a yawn, so you're just getting this raw.

[ And he slings his arm up around Vash's shoulders. Cosy! ]

[ nice. they've been talking back and forth over text all day, but it was mostly just about what kind of movies they liked and a tier list of movie-watching snack foods. so... there was a part of vash, just a tiny one, that was worried the sparks from the bar had just been a combination of beer goggles and a hot guy being friendly.

the arm around him seems to suggest otherwise, and he couldn't be more jazzed about it. ]

Oooh, Mr. Priest. [ batting his eyelashes. ] Is that the kind of smooth moves they teach you in seminary?

[ aaaand he's turning the TV on, picking a streaming app at random and flicking through in the hopes of something to watch. can't be too good, because he's hoping neither one of them is going to be paying attention to it for long, but it can't be lame enough for wolfwood to doubt his (impeccable) tastes in cinema. ]

Absolutely. It's on the "don't do this shit" list.

[ He's looking at Vash more than he's looking at the screen. Christ, he's even prettier up close. Smooth skin with that little natural flush, perfect bow of a mouth. It's definitely too early in the evening to try and kiss him -

but then he sees a movie that catches his attention. He's heard buzz about it - the director has a reputation for taking very formulaic kinds of older movies and turning them on their heads in a way that seems to make people either thrilled or outraged. His latest venture is a stab at seeing what a Spaghetti Western would be like without all the racism and misogyny, and social media has been full of people screaming GET WOKE GO BROKE while the film racks up the millions. It's impossible not to think of Vash's talk about outlaws and the fastest fingers in the west. Seems like it'd be right up his (dusty, tumbleweed-filled) alley. ]

Wait. Have you seen that one already?

Huh? -- Oh! Nuh-uh, I didn't even know it was out on streaming, yet.

[ picking that one! a little worried it's gonna mess up his can't-be-too-good criteria, but, uh. he's not quite bold enough to spell out that line of thinking for wolfwood. ]

[ Quiet satisfaction. He correctly deduced an interest! ]

Got the impression Westerns might be your thing.

I hope it's not gonna make you mad if my attention is divided.

Nailed it! But who doesn't like them? They're cool.

[ but! already, that pulls his attention away from the movie, gets him looking up at wolfwood through his lashes. ]

Depends, I guess. On what else you're gonna pay attention to.

The scenery.

[ It's not a leer. Not quite. But honestly, it takes some effort. Those eyes are gorgeous, and Vash is working them. ]

[ he can't help it when he snorts a laugh. ]

That makes it sound like you're checking out my plants.

[ He's much more interested in what's in Vash's pants - but that's absolutely not the kind of thing he can say out loud. Not yet, anyway. Not if he wants to maintain any chance of getting into them. ]

They are impressive. Makes the place seem more like you.

[ mm, feels like a way of steering the conversation back to safer waters, and vash does his best to respect it. stretching his long legs out onto the sectional, snuggling himself up against wolfwood's side. ]

You like 'em? Nai keeps sending me links to articles on hoarding.

[ mostly when vash is being a pain in his ass and nai is inclined to be a pain back. vash knows he likes the plants, too. ]

[ It's safer territory, much less likely to make him seem like a lech. Which he takes as an excuse to behave a little more like one instead, snuggling right back and turning his face in towards Vash ever so slightly. Not quite like he's going in for a kiss, but like he's at least thinking about it. ]

They're perfect. No offense to Nai, but the place would feel sterile without them.

S'what I told him.

[ he doesn't even have to defend nai's honor on this one, because nai didn't even decorate. gave vash free rein to do whatever he wanted with his own room, paid people to do the rest, and somehow they came up with mausoleum-chic and called it a day. blech. ]

When in doubt? Plants. [ ehehe. ] Maybe I should put that on the business cards.

That's pretty good. Short and to the point, but it's pretty on-brand for you. Upbeat, cute. Sorta cheeky.

[ All things about Vash that he really likes, and the hand he has slung over Vash's shoulder comes up to brush gentle fingertips through his hair. Maybe a ruffle would be better suited to what he's just said, but he's doing it because he's wanted to touch it since he first laid eyes on Vash, not because he's trying to poke fun. ]

If it's got the sign-off from my business-brain guru guy, I've gotta do it.

[ but! almost the second wolfwood cards his fingers into vash's hair, vash is pressing up into the touch like a pleased cat. eyes sliding half-closed, even making a pleased little hum. ]

Never call me a guru again. Makes it sound like I'm selling fake supplements to conspiracy theorists.

[ But there's laughter in his voice as he says it, nothing near offense. And if there was any doubt, he's repeating that motion. Stroking through Vash's hair as easily as if he were a cat and he's trying to coax out a purr. ]

Hey, I don't know what you're doing on the side! No judgment!

[ it's nice. even nicer that wolfwood gets the message that he should keep doing it, and vash sighs out a delighted sound in response. he shifts himself a little closer, drawn towards the other man's body heat, wondering what it would be like to press up against him properly.

... and no, he has no idea what's going on in this fucking movie. ]

[ This movie is up for a plethora of awards. It's got a star-studded roster of big names cast in direct opposition to their usual type. Most importantly, it made that short guy who talks way too fast in the hopes nobody will notice that nothing he's saying makes sense absolutely furious.

And Nick couldn't care less about it, if its competition is that sound Vash just made. He wants to hear it again. He wants to hear all the other noises Vash might make for him. He keeps his fingers moving, and the way Vash is sort of slouchily leaned against him equalizes their height enough that he can lean and press his lips against Vash's temple. Has he totally forgotten about formulating any sort of witty comeback? Yup, just as much as he has about the movie. ]

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