FIC: Trajectory (1/2)
Title: Trajectory
Author: rebecca
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Tony/OMC, Joshua/Stephen
Summary: I'm not sure I'm cut out for this.
Notes: This is part of the Geometry series. Follows Line of Sight, Right Angle, and Variables.
With many thanks to crimsonquills for the beta.
note: this fic, like line of sight, is too long to be posted in one entry. I'll link to the second one at the bottom, or you can find the whole story at http://blueraccoon.livejournal.com/tag/trajectory.
"You're sure I look okay?" Tony asked again, adjusting the collar of his black silk shirt.
Abby rolled her eyes. "For the millionth time, Tony, you look fine. Now when are we meeting these friends of yours?"
"We're picking them up in twenty minutes. Which means we have to leave now." Tony grabbed his keys and held out his arm for Abby; she laughed and took it, kicking up the hem of her long black skirt as they went.
Tony wondered if Gibbs would kill him for admiring the way Abby looked in the white linen blouse and black and purple corset that went with it. The way she was dressed...he couldn't not look. Her breasts were there, and--right. Car. Time to go.
They slid into the car and wound their ways through the streets of DC to park in front of Joshua and Stephen's building. "You want to come up?"
"Absolutely." She got out of the car and skipped up the stairs next to him. For once, Tony didn't hear music.
He knocked, waited a moment or two, and was about to knock again when the door swung open. "Tony! Hey!" Joshua pulled him into an impromptu hug. "C'mon in. Stephen's on the phone--Ruth called, and he doesn't get to talk to her much, so...and this must be Abby, right?"
She laughed. "And you're Joshua?"
"Guilty as charged." Joshua grinned, then winced. "I shouldn't say that to feds, should I? Especially given--well, anyway. Yes, I'm Joshua, and even for a confirmed gay man such as myself, Abby, I have to say that you look stunning. That corset is gorgeous!"
"Thank you! I have a friend who designs them." Abby curtsied.
Joshua glanced back into the apartment. "You guys want something to drink? We've got water, Stephen's sludge--"
"He drinks Gibbs-strength coffee," Tony translated.
"And some juice, or I could make tea."
Stephen wandered by, dressed in pure black from head to toe; he had a cordless phone pressed against one ear. He waved at them, listening for a moment before continuing his conversation--apparently in Hebrew.
"You'd think Hebrew would be more dangerous than English over there, but what do I know?" Joshua shrugged. He wore a deep blue shirt with vertical white chalk stripes and faded jeans, but his feet were bare. And for once, Tony noticed, he didn't have paint in his hair.
"Where's 'there'?" Abby asked curiously.
"Iraq. She's a photojournalist." Joshua grimaced. "Currently the black sheep of Stephen's family, thus saving him from the title. Not only is he gay, you see, but he's shacked up with an artist--and in a family where the other respective spouses are two lawyers and a professor, that's a definite no-no."
"I can imagine." Abby grinned. "But I bet you're more fun."
He laughed. "Depends on who you talk to, darling."
Abby turned around, looking at the apartment. Her eyes went wide and she stopped, staring at the bed. "Wow," she said, shaking her head. "I saw it on the--well, sorry about that, but--it's still amazing to see this in reality." She shivered, walking over to it. "How much did it cost? How long have you had it?"
"We got it at cost, so it wasn't that bad," Joshua said, following her. "And we've had it..." He turned to Stephen, who was just hanging up the phone. "Babe, how long have we had this?"
"Eight months, give or take," Stephen answered, walking over to them. "Sorry about that, guys--I don't get to talk to Ruth much. You look good, Tony."
"Thank you. And this is Abby."
She grinned. "That's me. Hi!" She held out a hand and Stephen took it, returning her grin. "I love your hair," she said. "And your bed is...something else."
"The hair's mine. I can tell you where to get the bed if you want one." Stephen smiled and turned to Joshua, brushing off his shirt.
"No room in my current place, plus I'm not that hard-core, but maybe in future." Abby shrugged. "You never know."
"No, and Stephen, I do know how to dress myself," Joshua said, pushing away his hands. "See? I even picked clothes with no paint on them."
"I laid out your clothes," Stephen reminded him.
"Did you really?" Joshua blinked. "When did you do that?"
"When you were in the shower." Stephen patted him on the shoulder. "It's the paint fumes."
Joshua glared at him. "You do realize where we're going tonight, don't you?" he said evenly.
"Yes, I do." Stephen smiled at him blandly.
"And you do realize that it wouldn't be at all out of place or even out of character for me to drop you, don't you?"
Stephen just raised a brow. "But we have guests," he pointed out.
"Are they always like this?" Abby asked Tony in an undertone.
He nodded. "Pretty much."
She grinned. "I love your friends."
"Abby, you normally hate my friends."
"Well, yeah, that's because you normally have boring friends. These two? They're cool."
"Push it any further and I will drop you, Stephen," Joshua warned him.
"Or you'll try." Stephen smiled and turned to get his shoes.
Joshua's hand tangled in his hair, pulling him back. "Enough," he said, voice low. "I don't know what Ruth said and I don't know what's going on with her, but we have friends here and I'm not spending the night dealing with you pushing me in front of them. Understand?"
Stephen's eyes closed and he swallowed, once. "Yes," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."
Joshua let him go. "Do you need to stay down?" he asked matter-of-factly.
Tony was surprised to see Stephen hesitate before shaking his head. "No," he said, running a hand through his hair. "No. I'm fine. I'll--I'll let you know."
"I'll probably know before you will," Joshua said wryly.
"Wow," Abby murmured. "Talk about power play."
"It doesn't bother you?" Tony asked her sotto voce.
"God, no. It's insanely hot, not to mention incredibly cool to witness. I mean...wow." She shook her head.
"Sorry about that," Stephen apologized, looking at Tony and Abby. "I--" He sighed. "My sister's in a fairly dangerous part of Iraq now, and...the rest of the family's putting a lot of pressure on her to come home, which means I get to be the shoulder to vent on."
"Sounds tough," Abby said sympathetically. "And can I just say how cool that was?"
Joshua grinned. "Thanks, I think."
"Tony mentioned you weren't vanilla," Stephen added, a bit more composed. "Do you mind if I ask which way you go?"
"Not at all. I switch, and I don't really have a pref. I mean, normally I sub, but I don't mind topping given the chance, although I do better topping women than men." Abby shrugged.
Tony stared at her. "Since when did you go both ways?"
She looked at him. "You didn't know I did?"
"Um, no?"
Stephen laughed. "And I'll bet you didn't know he did either."
Abby waved a hand. "Of course I knew. He pinged my bi-dar the day I met him. No straight man spends that much on clothes."
"I know straight men who do!" Tony protested.
Both Stephen and Abby looked at him. "Denial," they chorused.
"This is going to be an interesting night," Joshua said, looking between the two of them. "Stephen, where are my shoes?"
"On the shoe rack, where they're supposed to be," Stephen told him.
"That's why I couldn't find them." Joshua went over to the shoe rack and pulled on a pair of blue tennis shoes. "So," he said cheerfully. "We ready to go?"
*****
The club was kind of neat, Tony admitted. Long bar against one wall, tables and booths around the main floor. There was a dance floor, but it was pretty empty. And there was a raised platform he didn't understand.
"Performance stage," Stephen said quietly, nodding at it. "You can reserve it in advance, or use it when you show up if no one's booked it. There are a couple of other rooms for smaller shows as well."
"Have you ever used it?" Tony asked.
Stephen smiled and shook his head. "Neither Joshua nor I are into exhibitionism. As I'm sure you already knew."
Tony grimaced. "Yeah, well. Do people use it often?"
"On the weekends, there's generally a show every night, and during the week...it depends." Stephen shrugged and slid into the curved booth. Tony slid in next to him, and Abby took the seat across from him, on Joshua's right. "The smaller stages are more popular. Not too many people can handle--or want to handle--the main stage."
"I'll get us drinks," Joshua said, and Abby slid out of the booth. "Tony?"
"Just water, thanks," he said.
"I know what you want," Joshua said to Stephen. "Abby?"
"They have Red Bull here?"
"Be right back." Joshua headed to the bar, chatting with the really tall redheaded bartender.
"It's not as full now," Stephen said. "But by ten, this place will be packed. I checked with Nicolas--that's the owner--and he said no one had reserved the main stage for tonight."
Tony had to admit, he was relieved. He wasn't sure he wanted to see that. As he looked around, he saw people in various combinations of leather and metal, some coming perilously close to public nudity. Some were dressed like Joshua, and he saw two women come in who looked similar to Abby. One was holding a leash, attached to the collar of a man walking behind her.
"It's mostly just a place for people to hang out and relax. They'll turn up the music when it gets more crowded, try to get people on the dance floor. But there aren't too many places those of us in the lifestyle can go to hang out and relax with others." Stephen shrugged. "This is normal, Tony. Or...mostly normal."
"We're normal now?" Joshua asked, returning with a bottle of water, a can of Red Bull, and two bottles of juice. He slid one across the sleek black table to Stephen and kept one for himself.
"You'll never be normal," a woman's voice said teasingly. Tony turned and saw a tiny woman--five feet, max--standing by their table. She had the dusky skin and features of a Filipina, and her long dark hair streamed down the back of her midriff-baring tank top. With it, she wore faded low-rise jeans and a chain-link belt, fastened with a padlock. The loose end of the chain hung down her left hip, almost to her knee. She had wide leather cuffs around each wrist, laced tightly.
"He won't, no. I can at least pass." Stephen grinned. "Jill, these are our friends Tony and Abby. Tony, Abby, this is Jill, the manager. Her husband Ewan's the bartender."
Tony looked back at Ewan--probably six-six, maybe more--and looked at Jill again. "Yes," she said dryly. "I'm four-eleven and he's six-five. And yes, we're married." She smiled and held out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you," she said, shaking hands with both of them.
"Jill's living proof that you don't have to be tall--or built--to be a good top," Stephen said with a smile. "She's Ewan's Mistress as well as his wife."
Tony shook his head. "Wow," he said.
Jill's smile sharpened a bit. "New here, Tony?"
"Yeah." He looked at her--even sitting, he barely had to look up. "That obvious?"
She laughed and leaned in, trailing a finger up his throat. "You're in good company," she said softly, silkily. "But if you're interested in more of a hands-on demonstration..." Her nail scraped a line back down, tracing the tendon. Her perfume was subtle, heady, and Tony swallowed hard, trying not to react too visibly.
"Jill," Joshua said sharply. "Back off."
She straightened up slowly. "I'm just making the boy an offer," she said sweetly.
"He's not interested."
"How do you know?" Jill asked with a feline smile.
Joshua met her eyes steadily. "Because he's mine for the night. And I'm telling you he's not interested."
Tony thought briefly of kissing Joshua out of gratitude.
"And her?" Jill asked lightly, running her fingers over Abby's hair. "Is she yours too?"
Abby looked up. "No," she said softly. "I'm a free agent."
"Mmm." Jill stroked her fingers down Abby's cheek. "Pretty girl," she murmured. "Come find me later if you like."
Abby's eyes were wide; she nodded. "I will," she said, and Tony had never heard her sound that submissive in his life.
"Jill..." Joshua warned her. "Enough."
Jill shrugged carelessly. "I'll be around if you need me." She blew Tony a kiss and walked off, hips swinging. Tony watched her go and decided two things: One, that she was tiny, but built. And two, that she was damned scary.
Stephen blew out a breath. "Jill...comes on strong," he said carefully. "She lives the lifestyle, she works it, and sometimes she forgets not everyone else does as well."
"I got that impression." Tony twisted the cap off his water bottle and took a long drink, trying to settle his nerves.
"Open marriage?" Abby asked curiously. Her voice was back to normal, Tony noticed gratefully, although her face was still a bit flushed.
"Yeah." Stephen sipped his juice. "Somewhat, although they've settled down a bit since Nina was born. She's their daughter," he explained. "Two years old and the spitting image of her mother. Ewan's going to be in trouble when she gets older."
"If she's anything like her mother, I'd say so," Tony said with a shake of his head.
Joshua laughed. "So would I."
"Do you come here often? I mean, if you know Jill and Ewan that well?" Abby asked.
"We come a few times a month, when we can. But I built the place." Stephen grinned. "Not all my commissions come through my office."
"Built?" Tony blinked. "The building doesn't look that new."
"It's not, no. I worked with Nicolas--the owner--on remodeling and rebuilding it from the inside out." Stephen took a drink of juice, looking around. "It's the third club I've worked on. There's another one in DC I did, and one in Philly."
"In exchange for the work, Nicolas gave us free membership--well, in addition to paying Stephen, of course." Joshua grinned. "It worked out well."
"I'd say so," Tony said, looking around. "Nice job."
"A lot of this is thanks to the decorating, and I had nothing to do with that. I just helped him design it."
"You did your apartment as well, right?" Tony asked. "I mean, I'm guessing."
Stephen grinned. "Yeah. The one apartment wasn't big enough, so we talked to the owner and got approval to remodel. And pretty much wherever we could take down interior walls, with the exceptions of the bathrooms, we did."
"Why not just move somewhere else?" Abby asked.
"Light." Joshua grinned. "That apartment gets great natural light. It's almost impossible to find a place in this area that has it. I lucked out."
"Never argue with an artist about light," Stephen added wryly. "You'll lose."
"Don't argue with me about most things," Joshua teased. "You'll lose."
"Oh?" Stephen raised a brow. "I seem to recall differently. In fact, weren't you the one who said it was hard to win an argument with me outside of bed?"
"Hard, but not impossible," Joshua countered.
"Well, no. Nothing's impossible. Some things are just more unlikely than others."
"Are they at it again?" an amused male voice said on Tony's left. He turned, looking up to see a tall, lanky blond standing there, dressed in tight black jeans and a black T-shirt that glittered when he moved. He wore a silver ring on the middle finger of his left hand and there was an emerald stud in his left ear. "Hi," he said cheerfully. "I'm David."
Tony shook the man's hand. "I'm Tony," he said.
"And I'm Abby." She grinned. "I'm guessing you know these two?"
"From way back." David grinned and rocked back on his heels. "Stephen was one of my first friends in DC."
"There aren't too many kinky gay Jewish men in the area, at least that I've found," Stephen said, laughing. "Tony, would you let me out?"
"Oh--sure." Tony slid out of the booth, standing to let Stephen out. He noticed that David was just about his height, maybe half an inch or so taller.
"I didn't think you were in town," Stephen said, leaning up to kiss David on the cheek.
"Got back last night. Thought I'd come by and relax, see if anyone was performing. Alas, no, and I'm destined to be disappointed with you two." To Tony's surprise, David wrapped an arm around Stephen's waist and kissed him slowly. "Room for one more in the booth?"
Tony was even more surprised to see the amused, tolerant look on Joshua's face. "For you, always," he said. "Come, have a seat."
David ended up on the outside, putting Tony between him and Stephen. "How was the tour?" Stephen asked.
"Long. Tiring. And as much as I love my group, I never want to see them again." David groaned. "Until rehearsal tomorrow."
"Rehearsal?" Tony asked.
"I'm a musician. Clarinetist. I perform with the Baltimore Symphony and a chamber group--well, wind quintet. The group just got back from a tour of the Northeast--Pennsylvania, Jersey, New York, Delaware, and I don't remember if we hit Massachusetts in there or not. It all kind of blurred together after a while." David rubbed a hand over his face. "And now I'm back to the symphony."
"What he's not telling you is that he's the first clarinetist of the quintet and the second clarinetist of the symphony," Stephen added.
"You don't look old enough for that," Abby said cheerfully.
David laughed. "I'm older than I look. Or you can call me a prodigy, if you like."
"I'd call you other things, but apparently you're gay."
"Beyond hope, yes." David winked at her. "Ask Stephen."
"Trust me, Abby, it's for the good of all gay men to have him on our side." Stephen grinned.
Tony thought that he hadn't seen Stephen this relaxed with anyone before, even Amy and Paul. It was interesting, to say the least. And there was a vibe between them--but wait. If they'd been lovers, why would Joshua be so relaxed?
Unless he didn't consider David a threat, Tony thought.
"And the loss of all women, I'm guessing." She sighed. "Were you two involved or something?"
"For about two months," Stephen confirmed; David started laughing. "Then we realized we were hopeless."
"I think you turned to me in the middle of sex and said 'This just isn't working, is it?'" David got out, still laughing.
Stephen snickered. "And you said 'No. Want to go get Chinese?'"
"And that was the end of a relationship that should never have been and the beginning of a beautiful friendship." David wiped his eyes with his forearm. "So what are you doing here?"
It took Tony a moment to realize the question was aimed at him. "Oh," he said in surprise. "I...well, I don't know." He looked at Stephen, a little helplessly.
"Tony's learning about the lifestyle," Stephen said smoothly. "He's not really certain of a lot of things, so I invited him out with us for the evening."
"Mmm. This is a good place to come for that. And you, Abby?" David asked.
"I came along for moral support. And to see what it's like here." She grinned at him. "I love the eye candy."
"Can't blame you there." David grinned back. "I do too." He turned, giving Tony a very deliberate once-over.
Tony took a swallow of water, drinking a little too fast. But--oh, what the hell? "I can see your point," he said, returning the look.
Truth be told, he could. David was attractive, with wavy blond hair, green eyes, and a lean runner's build. And being friends with Stephen was an automatic plus. Question was, did he play, and which way did he go, and why the fuck was Tony thinking about this anyway?
David laughed and clapped Tony on the back. "I like you," he said.
"Ah--thank you." Tony grinned a bit sheepishly. He looked around the club, a little surprised when he saw how full it was.
"Should be starting the music any time now," David commented. "Jill likes to wait until it's fairly crowded, or until she's sure she's not getting a performer."
As if on cue, the music began, a deep bass beat pulsing through the club, the song one Tony didn't recognize. People began to get up, moving to the floor, either by themselves or in pairs or groups. Abby watched them, practically bouncing in her seat, before sliding out of the booth. "Who's dancing with me?" she demanded.
Joshua laughed and stood up. "I will." He took the hand she offered and followed her to the dance floor, where they were swallowed up by the mass of people.
David watched them for a moment before laughing and getting up as well. "I've been on the road for almost three weeks," he said cheerfully. "I need to move!" He waved at Tony and Stephen before heading for the floor.
Alone in the booth, Tony figured he could ask. "I'm a little surprised Joshua--"
"Doesn't mind David?" Stephen finished. "David was my last lover, before Joshua. He's a close friend--probably the closest one I have, outside of Joshua and my family. And there is absolutely nothing between us. There never really was, but we thought otherwise for a little while."
"Gotcha." Tony drank some more water, watching people dance.
"He's a top," Stephen added. "A good one. He doesn't play as hard as I do. Then again, most people don't."
"I got that impression," Tony said dryly.
Stephen just laughed, unoffended. "If you're interested in a hands-on exploration, you can't do much better than David. And from the look he gave you, he'd love to explore."
"Do you play matchmaker often?" Tony asked, not sure whether to be amused or exasperated.
"Hardly ever. I'm not even trying to do it now. Just giving you a piece of advice." Stephen smiled and finished his juice.
"Thanks. I think." Tony capped his water bottle, and for a while they just sat and watched the dance floor.
It was nice, to just watch. Relaxing. The trappings were different, and Tony was pretty sure he wasn't going to find people on their knees wearing a collar and a leash at a regular club, but a lot of it was still pretty much the same. He saw Abby dancing with some random people, and he caught glimpses of Joshua and David as well; they looked to be having a good time, although they weren't dancing with each other.
"We're not that different," Stephen said, as if echoing Tony's thoughts. "Not in a lot of ways."
"I really wish I knew how you read my mind," Tony said wryly. "You're as bad as my boss."
"It's not that hard to do when you're looking around like that." Stephen grinned. "And I'm not sure whether to be flattered or wary that you're comparing me to your boss. He's about as scary as Jill."
"He didn't seem to get much reaction out of you in interrogation," Tony pointed out--and immediately kicked himself for bringing it up.
"Joshua would have told you otherwise." Stephen laughed. "I exploded at him after. And you really don't ever want to face my temper."
"It's worse than mine," Joshua confirmed, sliding into the booth. "C'mon, babe. Let's dance."
Stephen groaned. "Joshua, I thought you said you weren't going to drag me on the floor."
"I'm not dragging. I'm...encouraging. Strongly." Joshua grinned and kissed Stephen's cheek. "Please?"
David came over, laughing. "Come on, Stephen. I haven't gotten to dance with you in months."
"I haven't seen you in months," Stephen pointed out.
"Exactly. C'mon."
"Do you hate to dance or something?" Tony asked.
"No, he loves it. And he's good at it." Joshua stood up again. "That's why he doesn't want to dance in public."
"I don't get it." Tony shook his head.
"Neither do I. C'mon, babe." Joshua held out a hand. "I promise I'll behave, even."
"You never behave," Stephen told him.
"I'll try?" Joshua gave him a little-boy grin.
The music changed then, and while Tony didn't recognize it, Stephen apparently did. "Oh, you bastard," he swore at Joshua. "You--"
"I play dirty." Joshua grinned. "Come dance with me."
Stephen groaned, but slid out of the booth.
"What's with the music?" Tony asked David.
"It's kind of their song. Care to dance?" David asked. "I promise I won't bite unless you ask."
You can't do much better than David. "Sure," Tony said, getting up. To his surprise, David took his hand, lacing his fingers through Tony's.
"I like you," David said as they walked to the floor. "And you've got Stephen's stamp of approval, which is not easily given. So I'd rather not let you get away before I have a chance to get to know you better."
"You barely know me," Tony pointed out. "How can you like me already?"
"I'm a good judge of people." David laughed and pulled Tony onto the dance floor. "And as I said. Stephen likes you."
"Do you know how we met?" Tony asked, beginning to let himself move to the music.
David shook his head. "I've been out of town."
"I'd recommend asking him. It'll be...an interesting story." Tony wondered just what Stephen would say.
"I'll do that. But I'd rather dance with you. Especially given that." David nodded over to his left and Tony turned his head, looking at Stephen and Joshua dancing, pressed so close against each other they looked like one person in the shadow of the crowd. Stephen shook his hair back, leaning back, and Tony saw him laughing. "They'll be on the floor for hours," David said, watching. "I hope you weren't planning on going home early."
"Gonna give me a reason to stay?" Tony asked David teasingly.
"I'd love to." David's hands slid down Tony's back, settling on his hips. "Absolutely love to." He pulled Tony closer against him, even as his hands moved down to Tony's ass. "We can talk later."
Tony rested his own hands on David's waist. "I like that idea."
Dancing with David was fun; he was an excellent dancer--Tony supposed that given his profession, it wasn't too surprising. He also liked to stay in contact with Tony, whether his hands were on Tony's hips, his ass, his shoulders, or anywhere else. Tony had to admit, he liked it; he hadn't gone clubbing in a long time and he'd missed this, the sheer fun of being on the floor with someone else, surrounded by the crowd, music pounding and lights flashing.
But eventually he needed a break--and some water. He tugged David off the dance floor, heading for the bar. David laughed and followed, sliding onto a stool and pulling Tony back against him. "Hey, Ewan," he said cheerfully. "Two waters please?"
Ewan--whose coppery red hair was matched by fair skin and bright green eyes--nodded and slid two bottles across the bar to them. "Having fun, you two?" he asked.
Tony twisted the cap off his bottle. "Yeah," he said, looking up at David. "You?"
"Oh yeah." David opened his water, drinking deeply. "How's it going over here?"
"It's a good night." Ewan smiled, looking out over the club. "Definitely a good night. Busy, but aren't they all?"
"Not too busy to give your wife a kiss, are you?" Jill purred, sliding onto a stool. She leaned over and hooked a finger through the ring in Ewan's collar, pulling him in for a long, deep kiss.
"Never too busy for my Mistress," Ewan said softly, kissing her hand as he pulled back.
She laughed and turned to face Tony and David. "He's such a sweetheart. Having a good night, boys?"
David's hand tightened on Tony's shoulder. "Just fine, Jill."
Jill gave him an amused look. "Relax, David. I don't poach. And it's been made very clear to me that your boy is off-limits."
"Good," David said evenly.
"I will say this much," she said, getting off her stool. "You've got excellent taste." She patted Tony on the cheek--she had to stand on tiptoe to do it. "Bring him by sometime. We'll save a stage for you."
She blew Ewan a kiss and headed off again.
Ewan shook his head. "She's in rare form tonight."
"Any idea why?" Tony asked, trying not to watch Jill's ass under her jeans.
"I've been married to her for five years, she's the mother of my child, my Mistress, and her mind is still a mystery to me, most of the time." Ewan grinned and moved down the bar to serve a couple people before coming back.
Tony turned around to look up at David. "First Joshua claims me for the night, then you. I'm beginning to feel like a kid's toy here, or the last piece of candy in the bowl."
"Mmm. Candy." David cupped Tony's face in his hands. "I never could resist candy," he said with a grin.
As first kisses went, it was--whoa. Hot and sweet and potent and David was very, very definitely in charge, even with just his hands on Tony's face. They were both a little breathless when David pulled back. Tony felt more than a little dazed.
"You okay?" David asked softly, stroking Tony's cheekbone with his thumb.
Tony took a deep breath. "Yeah," he said, voice a little more unsteady than he'd wanted it to be. "I'm...whoa. Yeah."
David laughed. "God, you're hot," he said, his hands still on Tony's face, thumbs caressing his skin. "So sweet."
"Um--" Tony pulled David's hands away. "I haven't--"
"With men? Or with kink?" David interrupted.
"The--the second one." Tony hoped the flush in his face could be attributed to the kiss. "I'm still new to all this."
"Mmm." David smiled and linked his hands together behind Tony's neck. "I'll have fun teaching you."
And maybe he would, and Tony couldn't imagine a reason for him to say no, but David's matter-of-fact assumption..."That's assuming I say yes," he said.
David grinned. "Gonna say no?"
"You going to let me think about it?" Tony countered.
"Don't push him, David," Ewan said mildly. "If Jill has to behave, so do you."
Tony winced. "No offense, Ewan, but your wife scares me."
"Most people with any sense are scared of my wife. And that includes me." Ewan grinned and moved down the bar.
"Whew!" Joshua came over to them, draping an arm around each of them. "Having fun, boys?" He grinned, hugging them before stepping back. "I need a break and something to drink."
"What about your other half?" Tony asked.
Joshua laughed. "Take a look." He gestured expansively and Tony looked at the dance floor to see Stephen surrounded by people, apparently oblivious to anything but the music. "He doesn't get off the floor once I get him on the floor, and he's damned good, so everyone wants to dance with him. I think it's the yoga." Joshua laughed again. "Hey, Ewan, can I--" A bottle of juice sailed down the bar and Joshua caught it neatly. "Thanks!"
Ewan grinned. "Sure I can't tempt you?"
Tony was surprised to see Joshua's face go--well--he didn't really have a name for it. "I've told you before," Joshua said. "I don't share." He opened his bottle, drinking. "How many times are you going to ask?"
"Don't blame me, blame my wife," Ewan said cheerfully, apparently unaffected by the cool power in Joshua's voice. "Do you know how much she'd give to get you two on the stage?"
"Not going to happen, Ewan." Joshua took another drink, looking between Tony and David. "And I've interrupted something here. Tony, if you want, we'll find our own way home. Just let me know."
"Not Stephen?" Tony asked.
Joshua grinned. "No."
Tony blinked, watching Joshua toss the empty bottle into the trash and walk back to the dance floor.
"Joshua's going to drop him," David said quietly. "It's the main reason Stephen doesn't get on the floor. He loves to dance, and he doesn't care who he dances with, once he's into it."
"But Joshua does."
"Stephen's his," David said simply. "And like you just heard--Joshua doesn't share. Watch."
There was a little bit of space around them now. Tony watched Joshua curl his hand around Stephen's neck, watched him lean in close and whisper something before kissing Stephen, hard.
And-- "Oh my God," Tony managed, watching Stephen just...slide down Joshua's body, kneeling in front of him.
David grinned. "They're something else."
"And you--are you--"
"I'm not as hard-core as them," David said easily. "And I'm nowhere near as possessive as Joshua. I still don't share, but not to that extent." He traced the line of Tony's jaw. "I don't care who you dance with, just who you sub for."
"I don't sub for anyone right now," Tony managed, even though he felt more than a little lightheaded.
"Mmm." David kissed him again, lightly. "Sure about that?" His fingers ghosted over Tony's throat. "I won't hurt you, Tony," he murmured. "I'll take care of you."
Tony wanted to believe him. "I...you know, Stephen showed me? A little, I mean. Freaked me out." He grinned sheepishly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "I'm not sure I'm cut out for this."
"Freaked you out because you liked it?" David laughed. "Me too, my first time. And you should have seen me the first time I tried topping someone."
"Didn't go so well?" Tony asked.
"Not so much, no." David shrugged. "If you're not interested, it's cool. If you are...so am I." He winked and turned back to watch the dance floor.
Stephen wasn't on his knees anymore; his back was pressed against Joshua's chest, Joshua's hands over Stephen's on Stephen's thighs. His head was back against Joshua's shoulder, and his eyes were closed.
Tony watched them move to the music, suddenly overcome by a wave of longing. What they had was something--God, he wanted it. And he didn't know if it was the kink or the sheer love he saw between them, or both, but he wanted it.
"Supposing I'm interested," he said to David. "What then?"
David smiled. "Come home with me, and I'll show you."
"I can't--Stephen and Joshua came with me, and Abby." Tony grimaced. "I--"
"Stephen and Joshua will get themselves home. Trust me on that one. Actually...I think they might be leaving," David said, blinking. "Something must be bothering one of them, because normally they'd stay all night."
"I think it's Stephen's sister," Tony said. "He was talking to her before."
"That'd do it." David fell silent as Joshua and Stephen walked over to them.
"We're getting out of here," Joshua said with an easy grin. "It's an easy ride on the Metro. Or we'll call a cab. Either way, we're cool." He clapped David on the shoulder and gave Tony a half-hug. "Take care of this one," he told David. "He's a good guy."
"Okay for me to say goodbye to him?" David asked Joshua. Tony blinked in amazement. Okay to say goodbye?
Joshua looked at Stephen, then nodded, stroking Stephen's hair back. "Come on up a bit, babe," he said quietly. "Just to say goodbye. Okay?"
Stephen nodded. "Yes, Joshua."
Tony stared at him. This...this was nothing like the man he'd met and talked to. This...
"Take it easy, okay? I'm around if you need a shoulder." David hugged Stephen like there was nothing out of the ordinary.
"I'll remember." Stephen hugged him back. "Take care, Tony. I'll see you around." He hugged Tony briefly.
"Ah--yeah. You too." Tony grinned.
"You ready to go?" Joshua asked Stephen, resting his hand on Stephen's back.
Stephen nodded. "Just...get me home," he said quietly, leaning into Joshua.
"I will, babe. Come on." Joshua kissed the top of Stephen's head and they left.
"What..." Tony stared after them.
David blew out a breath. "Something's really bothering Stephen. I've seen him stay down before. Hell, I've seen them spend the night here with him down like that, but...for him to want to get home that badly means something's bothering him, and he needs Joshua."
Tony shook his head, remembering some of the harder scenes on the recordings. "I don't want to know," he said fervently.
"No, you probably don't." David smiled faintly. "So where's your other friend?"
"I--you know, I don't know. I saw her on the dance floor a while back, but...I haven't seen her in a while." Tony looked around, but he didn't see Abby.
"She'll turn up." David grinned. "So. You have to take her home."
"No, to my place. She left her car there."
David smiled and ran a finger up Tony's neck. "So instead of me taking you home, how about you take me home? I didn't drive."
"I...could do that," Tony said slowly.
"Do you want to?" David asked simply. "I won't do anything you don't want, Tony."
"Would I lose insane amounts of masculine points to admit that I'm kind of nervous?" Tony asked sheepishly.
David laughed. "No, and even if you did, I promise I wouldn't tell." He kissed Tony again, drawing him closer. "You've got nothing to be nervous about," he murmured in Tony's ear. "I'll take good care of you, Tony. I'll give you what you want." His tongue flicked over Tony's earlobe. "Promise." He kissed the spot right behind Tony's jaw, lips tracing a path back to Tony's mouth. "I've got you," he whispered, right before he kissed Tony again.
Tony groaned and fell into the kiss, hands on David's arms for balance, vaguely aware that one of David's hands was around the back of his neck and the other was on his face, holding him close. It was...amazing.
"Just relax," David breathed against his lips. "You don't have to worry about a thing. I've got you."
He swayed a little, grateful for David's support. "That's it, Tony," David praised him. "See how easy it is?"
Tony nodded; his head felt light, but his body felt heavy, limbs relaxed and full of lassitude. He sighed, letting David draw him in closer, stroking his hair and his face. David kept murmuring to him, praising him, and always, always touching him.
He had no idea why this had scared him before. It felt so...good now. Almost natural.
Abby skipped up to them, looking at both Tony and David before bouncing in glee. "So cute," she said, grinning. "Isn't he adorable?"
Tony had no idea whether she was speaking to him and didn't really care. David laughed and pressed a kiss to Tony's hair. "So sweet," he said affectionately.
"Where'd the power play boys go?" she asked, looking around.
"They left," David told her. "I'm thinking Stephen had something on his mind he couldn't bury entirely."
Abby grimaced. "He didn't seem to, when we came here. But something was bothering him before we left."
"Stephen tends to worry things over in his mind. Odds are this one wouldn't stay quiet and Joshua noticed." David shrugged. "They'll be fine."
"Cool." Abby nodded. "Well, if you two would like to go, I'm cool with that. I mean, I'm having a blast, but Tony here looks...well." She grinned. "He's so cute!"
Tony roused enough to make a face at her. "Are we leaving?" he asked, looking at both of them.
"I think so." David stroked the side of his face. "You okay to drive?"
"Oh yeah." Tony grinned and shook his head, feeling the light-headedness dissipate. "No one drives my baby but me."
"Got it." David grinned and slid off his stool. "Just like no one touches my clarinet but me."
Tony's head had cleared a bit by the time they reached the car, enough for him to think about what he was actually doing. "David--" He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "It's not that I don't want this. You. Whatever. Abby, shut up."
She covered her mouth to hide the snicker.
"But...you deserve the truth, which means you really need to talk to Stephen about how we met before this goes any further." Tony blew out a breath. "Okay?"
David nodded. "You've piqued my curiosity, but okay. I'll talk to Stephen this week."
"I can still drive you home," Tony offered.
"Too much temptation." David grinned. "I'll take the Metro. It's not far." He kissed Tony lightly and headed off into the night.
"Okay," Abby said once he was gone. "That was completely noble and also utterly idiotic."
"He deserves to know, Abs."
"You're making this such a big deal!" she exclaimed, gesturing. "It's not!"
Tony looked at her evenly. "How long did it take you to get over nearly proving I'd killed someone?"
As he'd thought, she subsided, looking down. "You don't play fair," she muttered.
"It's a similar situation. David deserves to know I nearly put his friend away for murder." Tony opened the car door. "C'mon, Abs. Let's go home."
on to part two
Author: rebecca
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Tony/OMC, Joshua/Stephen
Summary: I'm not sure I'm cut out for this.
Notes: This is part of the Geometry series. Follows Line of Sight, Right Angle, and Variables.
With many thanks to crimsonquills for the beta.
note: this fic, like line of sight, is too long to be posted in one entry. I'll link to the second one at the bottom, or you can find the whole story at http://blueraccoon.livejournal.com/tag/trajectory.
"You're sure I look okay?" Tony asked again, adjusting the collar of his black silk shirt.
Abby rolled her eyes. "For the millionth time, Tony, you look fine. Now when are we meeting these friends of yours?"
"We're picking them up in twenty minutes. Which means we have to leave now." Tony grabbed his keys and held out his arm for Abby; she laughed and took it, kicking up the hem of her long black skirt as they went.
Tony wondered if Gibbs would kill him for admiring the way Abby looked in the white linen blouse and black and purple corset that went with it. The way she was dressed...he couldn't not look. Her breasts were there, and--right. Car. Time to go.
They slid into the car and wound their ways through the streets of DC to park in front of Joshua and Stephen's building. "You want to come up?"
"Absolutely." She got out of the car and skipped up the stairs next to him. For once, Tony didn't hear music.
He knocked, waited a moment or two, and was about to knock again when the door swung open. "Tony! Hey!" Joshua pulled him into an impromptu hug. "C'mon in. Stephen's on the phone--Ruth called, and he doesn't get to talk to her much, so...and this must be Abby, right?"
She laughed. "And you're Joshua?"
"Guilty as charged." Joshua grinned, then winced. "I shouldn't say that to feds, should I? Especially given--well, anyway. Yes, I'm Joshua, and even for a confirmed gay man such as myself, Abby, I have to say that you look stunning. That corset is gorgeous!"
"Thank you! I have a friend who designs them." Abby curtsied.
Joshua glanced back into the apartment. "You guys want something to drink? We've got water, Stephen's sludge--"
"He drinks Gibbs-strength coffee," Tony translated.
"And some juice, or I could make tea."
Stephen wandered by, dressed in pure black from head to toe; he had a cordless phone pressed against one ear. He waved at them, listening for a moment before continuing his conversation--apparently in Hebrew.
"You'd think Hebrew would be more dangerous than English over there, but what do I know?" Joshua shrugged. He wore a deep blue shirt with vertical white chalk stripes and faded jeans, but his feet were bare. And for once, Tony noticed, he didn't have paint in his hair.
"Where's 'there'?" Abby asked curiously.
"Iraq. She's a photojournalist." Joshua grimaced. "Currently the black sheep of Stephen's family, thus saving him from the title. Not only is he gay, you see, but he's shacked up with an artist--and in a family where the other respective spouses are two lawyers and a professor, that's a definite no-no."
"I can imagine." Abby grinned. "But I bet you're more fun."
He laughed. "Depends on who you talk to, darling."
Abby turned around, looking at the apartment. Her eyes went wide and she stopped, staring at the bed. "Wow," she said, shaking her head. "I saw it on the--well, sorry about that, but--it's still amazing to see this in reality." She shivered, walking over to it. "How much did it cost? How long have you had it?"
"We got it at cost, so it wasn't that bad," Joshua said, following her. "And we've had it..." He turned to Stephen, who was just hanging up the phone. "Babe, how long have we had this?"
"Eight months, give or take," Stephen answered, walking over to them. "Sorry about that, guys--I don't get to talk to Ruth much. You look good, Tony."
"Thank you. And this is Abby."
She grinned. "That's me. Hi!" She held out a hand and Stephen took it, returning her grin. "I love your hair," she said. "And your bed is...something else."
"The hair's mine. I can tell you where to get the bed if you want one." Stephen smiled and turned to Joshua, brushing off his shirt.
"No room in my current place, plus I'm not that hard-core, but maybe in future." Abby shrugged. "You never know."
"No, and Stephen, I do know how to dress myself," Joshua said, pushing away his hands. "See? I even picked clothes with no paint on them."
"I laid out your clothes," Stephen reminded him.
"Did you really?" Joshua blinked. "When did you do that?"
"When you were in the shower." Stephen patted him on the shoulder. "It's the paint fumes."
Joshua glared at him. "You do realize where we're going tonight, don't you?" he said evenly.
"Yes, I do." Stephen smiled at him blandly.
"And you do realize that it wouldn't be at all out of place or even out of character for me to drop you, don't you?"
Stephen just raised a brow. "But we have guests," he pointed out.
"Are they always like this?" Abby asked Tony in an undertone.
He nodded. "Pretty much."
She grinned. "I love your friends."
"Abby, you normally hate my friends."
"Well, yeah, that's because you normally have boring friends. These two? They're cool."
"Push it any further and I will drop you, Stephen," Joshua warned him.
"Or you'll try." Stephen smiled and turned to get his shoes.
Joshua's hand tangled in his hair, pulling him back. "Enough," he said, voice low. "I don't know what Ruth said and I don't know what's going on with her, but we have friends here and I'm not spending the night dealing with you pushing me in front of them. Understand?"
Stephen's eyes closed and he swallowed, once. "Yes," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."
Joshua let him go. "Do you need to stay down?" he asked matter-of-factly.
Tony was surprised to see Stephen hesitate before shaking his head. "No," he said, running a hand through his hair. "No. I'm fine. I'll--I'll let you know."
"I'll probably know before you will," Joshua said wryly.
"Wow," Abby murmured. "Talk about power play."
"It doesn't bother you?" Tony asked her sotto voce.
"God, no. It's insanely hot, not to mention incredibly cool to witness. I mean...wow." She shook her head.
"Sorry about that," Stephen apologized, looking at Tony and Abby. "I--" He sighed. "My sister's in a fairly dangerous part of Iraq now, and...the rest of the family's putting a lot of pressure on her to come home, which means I get to be the shoulder to vent on."
"Sounds tough," Abby said sympathetically. "And can I just say how cool that was?"
Joshua grinned. "Thanks, I think."
"Tony mentioned you weren't vanilla," Stephen added, a bit more composed. "Do you mind if I ask which way you go?"
"Not at all. I switch, and I don't really have a pref. I mean, normally I sub, but I don't mind topping given the chance, although I do better topping women than men." Abby shrugged.
Tony stared at her. "Since when did you go both ways?"
She looked at him. "You didn't know I did?"
"Um, no?"
Stephen laughed. "And I'll bet you didn't know he did either."
Abby waved a hand. "Of course I knew. He pinged my bi-dar the day I met him. No straight man spends that much on clothes."
"I know straight men who do!" Tony protested.
Both Stephen and Abby looked at him. "Denial," they chorused.
"This is going to be an interesting night," Joshua said, looking between the two of them. "Stephen, where are my shoes?"
"On the shoe rack, where they're supposed to be," Stephen told him.
"That's why I couldn't find them." Joshua went over to the shoe rack and pulled on a pair of blue tennis shoes. "So," he said cheerfully. "We ready to go?"
*****
The club was kind of neat, Tony admitted. Long bar against one wall, tables and booths around the main floor. There was a dance floor, but it was pretty empty. And there was a raised platform he didn't understand.
"Performance stage," Stephen said quietly, nodding at it. "You can reserve it in advance, or use it when you show up if no one's booked it. There are a couple of other rooms for smaller shows as well."
"Have you ever used it?" Tony asked.
Stephen smiled and shook his head. "Neither Joshua nor I are into exhibitionism. As I'm sure you already knew."
Tony grimaced. "Yeah, well. Do people use it often?"
"On the weekends, there's generally a show every night, and during the week...it depends." Stephen shrugged and slid into the curved booth. Tony slid in next to him, and Abby took the seat across from him, on Joshua's right. "The smaller stages are more popular. Not too many people can handle--or want to handle--the main stage."
"I'll get us drinks," Joshua said, and Abby slid out of the booth. "Tony?"
"Just water, thanks," he said.
"I know what you want," Joshua said to Stephen. "Abby?"
"They have Red Bull here?"
"Be right back." Joshua headed to the bar, chatting with the really tall redheaded bartender.
"It's not as full now," Stephen said. "But by ten, this place will be packed. I checked with Nicolas--that's the owner--and he said no one had reserved the main stage for tonight."
Tony had to admit, he was relieved. He wasn't sure he wanted to see that. As he looked around, he saw people in various combinations of leather and metal, some coming perilously close to public nudity. Some were dressed like Joshua, and he saw two women come in who looked similar to Abby. One was holding a leash, attached to the collar of a man walking behind her.
"It's mostly just a place for people to hang out and relax. They'll turn up the music when it gets more crowded, try to get people on the dance floor. But there aren't too many places those of us in the lifestyle can go to hang out and relax with others." Stephen shrugged. "This is normal, Tony. Or...mostly normal."
"We're normal now?" Joshua asked, returning with a bottle of water, a can of Red Bull, and two bottles of juice. He slid one across the sleek black table to Stephen and kept one for himself.
"You'll never be normal," a woman's voice said teasingly. Tony turned and saw a tiny woman--five feet, max--standing by their table. She had the dusky skin and features of a Filipina, and her long dark hair streamed down the back of her midriff-baring tank top. With it, she wore faded low-rise jeans and a chain-link belt, fastened with a padlock. The loose end of the chain hung down her left hip, almost to her knee. She had wide leather cuffs around each wrist, laced tightly.
"He won't, no. I can at least pass." Stephen grinned. "Jill, these are our friends Tony and Abby. Tony, Abby, this is Jill, the manager. Her husband Ewan's the bartender."
Tony looked back at Ewan--probably six-six, maybe more--and looked at Jill again. "Yes," she said dryly. "I'm four-eleven and he's six-five. And yes, we're married." She smiled and held out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you," she said, shaking hands with both of them.
"Jill's living proof that you don't have to be tall--or built--to be a good top," Stephen said with a smile. "She's Ewan's Mistress as well as his wife."
Tony shook his head. "Wow," he said.
Jill's smile sharpened a bit. "New here, Tony?"
"Yeah." He looked at her--even sitting, he barely had to look up. "That obvious?"
She laughed and leaned in, trailing a finger up his throat. "You're in good company," she said softly, silkily. "But if you're interested in more of a hands-on demonstration..." Her nail scraped a line back down, tracing the tendon. Her perfume was subtle, heady, and Tony swallowed hard, trying not to react too visibly.
"Jill," Joshua said sharply. "Back off."
She straightened up slowly. "I'm just making the boy an offer," she said sweetly.
"He's not interested."
"How do you know?" Jill asked with a feline smile.
Joshua met her eyes steadily. "Because he's mine for the night. And I'm telling you he's not interested."
Tony thought briefly of kissing Joshua out of gratitude.
"And her?" Jill asked lightly, running her fingers over Abby's hair. "Is she yours too?"
Abby looked up. "No," she said softly. "I'm a free agent."
"Mmm." Jill stroked her fingers down Abby's cheek. "Pretty girl," she murmured. "Come find me later if you like."
Abby's eyes were wide; she nodded. "I will," she said, and Tony had never heard her sound that submissive in his life.
"Jill..." Joshua warned her. "Enough."
Jill shrugged carelessly. "I'll be around if you need me." She blew Tony a kiss and walked off, hips swinging. Tony watched her go and decided two things: One, that she was tiny, but built. And two, that she was damned scary.
Stephen blew out a breath. "Jill...comes on strong," he said carefully. "She lives the lifestyle, she works it, and sometimes she forgets not everyone else does as well."
"I got that impression." Tony twisted the cap off his water bottle and took a long drink, trying to settle his nerves.
"Open marriage?" Abby asked curiously. Her voice was back to normal, Tony noticed gratefully, although her face was still a bit flushed.
"Yeah." Stephen sipped his juice. "Somewhat, although they've settled down a bit since Nina was born. She's their daughter," he explained. "Two years old and the spitting image of her mother. Ewan's going to be in trouble when she gets older."
"If she's anything like her mother, I'd say so," Tony said with a shake of his head.
Joshua laughed. "So would I."
"Do you come here often? I mean, if you know Jill and Ewan that well?" Abby asked.
"We come a few times a month, when we can. But I built the place." Stephen grinned. "Not all my commissions come through my office."
"Built?" Tony blinked. "The building doesn't look that new."
"It's not, no. I worked with Nicolas--the owner--on remodeling and rebuilding it from the inside out." Stephen took a drink of juice, looking around. "It's the third club I've worked on. There's another one in DC I did, and one in Philly."
"In exchange for the work, Nicolas gave us free membership--well, in addition to paying Stephen, of course." Joshua grinned. "It worked out well."
"I'd say so," Tony said, looking around. "Nice job."
"A lot of this is thanks to the decorating, and I had nothing to do with that. I just helped him design it."
"You did your apartment as well, right?" Tony asked. "I mean, I'm guessing."
Stephen grinned. "Yeah. The one apartment wasn't big enough, so we talked to the owner and got approval to remodel. And pretty much wherever we could take down interior walls, with the exceptions of the bathrooms, we did."
"Why not just move somewhere else?" Abby asked.
"Light." Joshua grinned. "That apartment gets great natural light. It's almost impossible to find a place in this area that has it. I lucked out."
"Never argue with an artist about light," Stephen added wryly. "You'll lose."
"Don't argue with me about most things," Joshua teased. "You'll lose."
"Oh?" Stephen raised a brow. "I seem to recall differently. In fact, weren't you the one who said it was hard to win an argument with me outside of bed?"
"Hard, but not impossible," Joshua countered.
"Well, no. Nothing's impossible. Some things are just more unlikely than others."
"Are they at it again?" an amused male voice said on Tony's left. He turned, looking up to see a tall, lanky blond standing there, dressed in tight black jeans and a black T-shirt that glittered when he moved. He wore a silver ring on the middle finger of his left hand and there was an emerald stud in his left ear. "Hi," he said cheerfully. "I'm David."
Tony shook the man's hand. "I'm Tony," he said.
"And I'm Abby." She grinned. "I'm guessing you know these two?"
"From way back." David grinned and rocked back on his heels. "Stephen was one of my first friends in DC."
"There aren't too many kinky gay Jewish men in the area, at least that I've found," Stephen said, laughing. "Tony, would you let me out?"
"Oh--sure." Tony slid out of the booth, standing to let Stephen out. He noticed that David was just about his height, maybe half an inch or so taller.
"I didn't think you were in town," Stephen said, leaning up to kiss David on the cheek.
"Got back last night. Thought I'd come by and relax, see if anyone was performing. Alas, no, and I'm destined to be disappointed with you two." To Tony's surprise, David wrapped an arm around Stephen's waist and kissed him slowly. "Room for one more in the booth?"
Tony was even more surprised to see the amused, tolerant look on Joshua's face. "For you, always," he said. "Come, have a seat."
David ended up on the outside, putting Tony between him and Stephen. "How was the tour?" Stephen asked.
"Long. Tiring. And as much as I love my group, I never want to see them again." David groaned. "Until rehearsal tomorrow."
"Rehearsal?" Tony asked.
"I'm a musician. Clarinetist. I perform with the Baltimore Symphony and a chamber group--well, wind quintet. The group just got back from a tour of the Northeast--Pennsylvania, Jersey, New York, Delaware, and I don't remember if we hit Massachusetts in there or not. It all kind of blurred together after a while." David rubbed a hand over his face. "And now I'm back to the symphony."
"What he's not telling you is that he's the first clarinetist of the quintet and the second clarinetist of the symphony," Stephen added.
"You don't look old enough for that," Abby said cheerfully.
David laughed. "I'm older than I look. Or you can call me a prodigy, if you like."
"I'd call you other things, but apparently you're gay."
"Beyond hope, yes." David winked at her. "Ask Stephen."
"Trust me, Abby, it's for the good of all gay men to have him on our side." Stephen grinned.
Tony thought that he hadn't seen Stephen this relaxed with anyone before, even Amy and Paul. It was interesting, to say the least. And there was a vibe between them--but wait. If they'd been lovers, why would Joshua be so relaxed?
Unless he didn't consider David a threat, Tony thought.
"And the loss of all women, I'm guessing." She sighed. "Were you two involved or something?"
"For about two months," Stephen confirmed; David started laughing. "Then we realized we were hopeless."
"I think you turned to me in the middle of sex and said 'This just isn't working, is it?'" David got out, still laughing.
Stephen snickered. "And you said 'No. Want to go get Chinese?'"
"And that was the end of a relationship that should never have been and the beginning of a beautiful friendship." David wiped his eyes with his forearm. "So what are you doing here?"
It took Tony a moment to realize the question was aimed at him. "Oh," he said in surprise. "I...well, I don't know." He looked at Stephen, a little helplessly.
"Tony's learning about the lifestyle," Stephen said smoothly. "He's not really certain of a lot of things, so I invited him out with us for the evening."
"Mmm. This is a good place to come for that. And you, Abby?" David asked.
"I came along for moral support. And to see what it's like here." She grinned at him. "I love the eye candy."
"Can't blame you there." David grinned back. "I do too." He turned, giving Tony a very deliberate once-over.
Tony took a swallow of water, drinking a little too fast. But--oh, what the hell? "I can see your point," he said, returning the look.
Truth be told, he could. David was attractive, with wavy blond hair, green eyes, and a lean runner's build. And being friends with Stephen was an automatic plus. Question was, did he play, and which way did he go, and why the fuck was Tony thinking about this anyway?
David laughed and clapped Tony on the back. "I like you," he said.
"Ah--thank you." Tony grinned a bit sheepishly. He looked around the club, a little surprised when he saw how full it was.
"Should be starting the music any time now," David commented. "Jill likes to wait until it's fairly crowded, or until she's sure she's not getting a performer."
As if on cue, the music began, a deep bass beat pulsing through the club, the song one Tony didn't recognize. People began to get up, moving to the floor, either by themselves or in pairs or groups. Abby watched them, practically bouncing in her seat, before sliding out of the booth. "Who's dancing with me?" she demanded.
Joshua laughed and stood up. "I will." He took the hand she offered and followed her to the dance floor, where they were swallowed up by the mass of people.
David watched them for a moment before laughing and getting up as well. "I've been on the road for almost three weeks," he said cheerfully. "I need to move!" He waved at Tony and Stephen before heading for the floor.
Alone in the booth, Tony figured he could ask. "I'm a little surprised Joshua--"
"Doesn't mind David?" Stephen finished. "David was my last lover, before Joshua. He's a close friend--probably the closest one I have, outside of Joshua and my family. And there is absolutely nothing between us. There never really was, but we thought otherwise for a little while."
"Gotcha." Tony drank some more water, watching people dance.
"He's a top," Stephen added. "A good one. He doesn't play as hard as I do. Then again, most people don't."
"I got that impression," Tony said dryly.
Stephen just laughed, unoffended. "If you're interested in a hands-on exploration, you can't do much better than David. And from the look he gave you, he'd love to explore."
"Do you play matchmaker often?" Tony asked, not sure whether to be amused or exasperated.
"Hardly ever. I'm not even trying to do it now. Just giving you a piece of advice." Stephen smiled and finished his juice.
"Thanks. I think." Tony capped his water bottle, and for a while they just sat and watched the dance floor.
It was nice, to just watch. Relaxing. The trappings were different, and Tony was pretty sure he wasn't going to find people on their knees wearing a collar and a leash at a regular club, but a lot of it was still pretty much the same. He saw Abby dancing with some random people, and he caught glimpses of Joshua and David as well; they looked to be having a good time, although they weren't dancing with each other.
"We're not that different," Stephen said, as if echoing Tony's thoughts. "Not in a lot of ways."
"I really wish I knew how you read my mind," Tony said wryly. "You're as bad as my boss."
"It's not that hard to do when you're looking around like that." Stephen grinned. "And I'm not sure whether to be flattered or wary that you're comparing me to your boss. He's about as scary as Jill."
"He didn't seem to get much reaction out of you in interrogation," Tony pointed out--and immediately kicked himself for bringing it up.
"Joshua would have told you otherwise." Stephen laughed. "I exploded at him after. And you really don't ever want to face my temper."
"It's worse than mine," Joshua confirmed, sliding into the booth. "C'mon, babe. Let's dance."
Stephen groaned. "Joshua, I thought you said you weren't going to drag me on the floor."
"I'm not dragging. I'm...encouraging. Strongly." Joshua grinned and kissed Stephen's cheek. "Please?"
David came over, laughing. "Come on, Stephen. I haven't gotten to dance with you in months."
"I haven't seen you in months," Stephen pointed out.
"Exactly. C'mon."
"Do you hate to dance or something?" Tony asked.
"No, he loves it. And he's good at it." Joshua stood up again. "That's why he doesn't want to dance in public."
"I don't get it." Tony shook his head.
"Neither do I. C'mon, babe." Joshua held out a hand. "I promise I'll behave, even."
"You never behave," Stephen told him.
"I'll try?" Joshua gave him a little-boy grin.
The music changed then, and while Tony didn't recognize it, Stephen apparently did. "Oh, you bastard," he swore at Joshua. "You--"
"I play dirty." Joshua grinned. "Come dance with me."
Stephen groaned, but slid out of the booth.
"What's with the music?" Tony asked David.
"It's kind of their song. Care to dance?" David asked. "I promise I won't bite unless you ask."
You can't do much better than David. "Sure," Tony said, getting up. To his surprise, David took his hand, lacing his fingers through Tony's.
"I like you," David said as they walked to the floor. "And you've got Stephen's stamp of approval, which is not easily given. So I'd rather not let you get away before I have a chance to get to know you better."
"You barely know me," Tony pointed out. "How can you like me already?"
"I'm a good judge of people." David laughed and pulled Tony onto the dance floor. "And as I said. Stephen likes you."
"Do you know how we met?" Tony asked, beginning to let himself move to the music.
David shook his head. "I've been out of town."
"I'd recommend asking him. It'll be...an interesting story." Tony wondered just what Stephen would say.
"I'll do that. But I'd rather dance with you. Especially given that." David nodded over to his left and Tony turned his head, looking at Stephen and Joshua dancing, pressed so close against each other they looked like one person in the shadow of the crowd. Stephen shook his hair back, leaning back, and Tony saw him laughing. "They'll be on the floor for hours," David said, watching. "I hope you weren't planning on going home early."
"Gonna give me a reason to stay?" Tony asked David teasingly.
"I'd love to." David's hands slid down Tony's back, settling on his hips. "Absolutely love to." He pulled Tony closer against him, even as his hands moved down to Tony's ass. "We can talk later."
Tony rested his own hands on David's waist. "I like that idea."
Dancing with David was fun; he was an excellent dancer--Tony supposed that given his profession, it wasn't too surprising. He also liked to stay in contact with Tony, whether his hands were on Tony's hips, his ass, his shoulders, or anywhere else. Tony had to admit, he liked it; he hadn't gone clubbing in a long time and he'd missed this, the sheer fun of being on the floor with someone else, surrounded by the crowd, music pounding and lights flashing.
But eventually he needed a break--and some water. He tugged David off the dance floor, heading for the bar. David laughed and followed, sliding onto a stool and pulling Tony back against him. "Hey, Ewan," he said cheerfully. "Two waters please?"
Ewan--whose coppery red hair was matched by fair skin and bright green eyes--nodded and slid two bottles across the bar to them. "Having fun, you two?" he asked.
Tony twisted the cap off his bottle. "Yeah," he said, looking up at David. "You?"
"Oh yeah." David opened his water, drinking deeply. "How's it going over here?"
"It's a good night." Ewan smiled, looking out over the club. "Definitely a good night. Busy, but aren't they all?"
"Not too busy to give your wife a kiss, are you?" Jill purred, sliding onto a stool. She leaned over and hooked a finger through the ring in Ewan's collar, pulling him in for a long, deep kiss.
"Never too busy for my Mistress," Ewan said softly, kissing her hand as he pulled back.
She laughed and turned to face Tony and David. "He's such a sweetheart. Having a good night, boys?"
David's hand tightened on Tony's shoulder. "Just fine, Jill."
Jill gave him an amused look. "Relax, David. I don't poach. And it's been made very clear to me that your boy is off-limits."
"Good," David said evenly.
"I will say this much," she said, getting off her stool. "You've got excellent taste." She patted Tony on the cheek--she had to stand on tiptoe to do it. "Bring him by sometime. We'll save a stage for you."
She blew Ewan a kiss and headed off again.
Ewan shook his head. "She's in rare form tonight."
"Any idea why?" Tony asked, trying not to watch Jill's ass under her jeans.
"I've been married to her for five years, she's the mother of my child, my Mistress, and her mind is still a mystery to me, most of the time." Ewan grinned and moved down the bar to serve a couple people before coming back.
Tony turned around to look up at David. "First Joshua claims me for the night, then you. I'm beginning to feel like a kid's toy here, or the last piece of candy in the bowl."
"Mmm. Candy." David cupped Tony's face in his hands. "I never could resist candy," he said with a grin.
As first kisses went, it was--whoa. Hot and sweet and potent and David was very, very definitely in charge, even with just his hands on Tony's face. They were both a little breathless when David pulled back. Tony felt more than a little dazed.
"You okay?" David asked softly, stroking Tony's cheekbone with his thumb.
Tony took a deep breath. "Yeah," he said, voice a little more unsteady than he'd wanted it to be. "I'm...whoa. Yeah."
David laughed. "God, you're hot," he said, his hands still on Tony's face, thumbs caressing his skin. "So sweet."
"Um--" Tony pulled David's hands away. "I haven't--"
"With men? Or with kink?" David interrupted.
"The--the second one." Tony hoped the flush in his face could be attributed to the kiss. "I'm still new to all this."
"Mmm." David smiled and linked his hands together behind Tony's neck. "I'll have fun teaching you."
And maybe he would, and Tony couldn't imagine a reason for him to say no, but David's matter-of-fact assumption..."That's assuming I say yes," he said.
David grinned. "Gonna say no?"
"You going to let me think about it?" Tony countered.
"Don't push him, David," Ewan said mildly. "If Jill has to behave, so do you."
Tony winced. "No offense, Ewan, but your wife scares me."
"Most people with any sense are scared of my wife. And that includes me." Ewan grinned and moved down the bar.
"Whew!" Joshua came over to them, draping an arm around each of them. "Having fun, boys?" He grinned, hugging them before stepping back. "I need a break and something to drink."
"What about your other half?" Tony asked.
Joshua laughed. "Take a look." He gestured expansively and Tony looked at the dance floor to see Stephen surrounded by people, apparently oblivious to anything but the music. "He doesn't get off the floor once I get him on the floor, and he's damned good, so everyone wants to dance with him. I think it's the yoga." Joshua laughed again. "Hey, Ewan, can I--" A bottle of juice sailed down the bar and Joshua caught it neatly. "Thanks!"
Ewan grinned. "Sure I can't tempt you?"
Tony was surprised to see Joshua's face go--well--he didn't really have a name for it. "I've told you before," Joshua said. "I don't share." He opened his bottle, drinking. "How many times are you going to ask?"
"Don't blame me, blame my wife," Ewan said cheerfully, apparently unaffected by the cool power in Joshua's voice. "Do you know how much she'd give to get you two on the stage?"
"Not going to happen, Ewan." Joshua took another drink, looking between Tony and David. "And I've interrupted something here. Tony, if you want, we'll find our own way home. Just let me know."
"Not Stephen?" Tony asked.
Joshua grinned. "No."
Tony blinked, watching Joshua toss the empty bottle into the trash and walk back to the dance floor.
"Joshua's going to drop him," David said quietly. "It's the main reason Stephen doesn't get on the floor. He loves to dance, and he doesn't care who he dances with, once he's into it."
"But Joshua does."
"Stephen's his," David said simply. "And like you just heard--Joshua doesn't share. Watch."
There was a little bit of space around them now. Tony watched Joshua curl his hand around Stephen's neck, watched him lean in close and whisper something before kissing Stephen, hard.
And-- "Oh my God," Tony managed, watching Stephen just...slide down Joshua's body, kneeling in front of him.
David grinned. "They're something else."
"And you--are you--"
"I'm not as hard-core as them," David said easily. "And I'm nowhere near as possessive as Joshua. I still don't share, but not to that extent." He traced the line of Tony's jaw. "I don't care who you dance with, just who you sub for."
"I don't sub for anyone right now," Tony managed, even though he felt more than a little lightheaded.
"Mmm." David kissed him again, lightly. "Sure about that?" His fingers ghosted over Tony's throat. "I won't hurt you, Tony," he murmured. "I'll take care of you."
Tony wanted to believe him. "I...you know, Stephen showed me? A little, I mean. Freaked me out." He grinned sheepishly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "I'm not sure I'm cut out for this."
"Freaked you out because you liked it?" David laughed. "Me too, my first time. And you should have seen me the first time I tried topping someone."
"Didn't go so well?" Tony asked.
"Not so much, no." David shrugged. "If you're not interested, it's cool. If you are...so am I." He winked and turned back to watch the dance floor.
Stephen wasn't on his knees anymore; his back was pressed against Joshua's chest, Joshua's hands over Stephen's on Stephen's thighs. His head was back against Joshua's shoulder, and his eyes were closed.
Tony watched them move to the music, suddenly overcome by a wave of longing. What they had was something--God, he wanted it. And he didn't know if it was the kink or the sheer love he saw between them, or both, but he wanted it.
"Supposing I'm interested," he said to David. "What then?"
David smiled. "Come home with me, and I'll show you."
"I can't--Stephen and Joshua came with me, and Abby." Tony grimaced. "I--"
"Stephen and Joshua will get themselves home. Trust me on that one. Actually...I think they might be leaving," David said, blinking. "Something must be bothering one of them, because normally they'd stay all night."
"I think it's Stephen's sister," Tony said. "He was talking to her before."
"That'd do it." David fell silent as Joshua and Stephen walked over to them.
"We're getting out of here," Joshua said with an easy grin. "It's an easy ride on the Metro. Or we'll call a cab. Either way, we're cool." He clapped David on the shoulder and gave Tony a half-hug. "Take care of this one," he told David. "He's a good guy."
"Okay for me to say goodbye to him?" David asked Joshua. Tony blinked in amazement. Okay to say goodbye?
Joshua looked at Stephen, then nodded, stroking Stephen's hair back. "Come on up a bit, babe," he said quietly. "Just to say goodbye. Okay?"
Stephen nodded. "Yes, Joshua."
Tony stared at him. This...this was nothing like the man he'd met and talked to. This...
"Take it easy, okay? I'm around if you need a shoulder." David hugged Stephen like there was nothing out of the ordinary.
"I'll remember." Stephen hugged him back. "Take care, Tony. I'll see you around." He hugged Tony briefly.
"Ah--yeah. You too." Tony grinned.
"You ready to go?" Joshua asked Stephen, resting his hand on Stephen's back.
Stephen nodded. "Just...get me home," he said quietly, leaning into Joshua.
"I will, babe. Come on." Joshua kissed the top of Stephen's head and they left.
"What..." Tony stared after them.
David blew out a breath. "Something's really bothering Stephen. I've seen him stay down before. Hell, I've seen them spend the night here with him down like that, but...for him to want to get home that badly means something's bothering him, and he needs Joshua."
Tony shook his head, remembering some of the harder scenes on the recordings. "I don't want to know," he said fervently.
"No, you probably don't." David smiled faintly. "So where's your other friend?"
"I--you know, I don't know. I saw her on the dance floor a while back, but...I haven't seen her in a while." Tony looked around, but he didn't see Abby.
"She'll turn up." David grinned. "So. You have to take her home."
"No, to my place. She left her car there."
David smiled and ran a finger up Tony's neck. "So instead of me taking you home, how about you take me home? I didn't drive."
"I...could do that," Tony said slowly.
"Do you want to?" David asked simply. "I won't do anything you don't want, Tony."
"Would I lose insane amounts of masculine points to admit that I'm kind of nervous?" Tony asked sheepishly.
David laughed. "No, and even if you did, I promise I wouldn't tell." He kissed Tony again, drawing him closer. "You've got nothing to be nervous about," he murmured in Tony's ear. "I'll take good care of you, Tony. I'll give you what you want." His tongue flicked over Tony's earlobe. "Promise." He kissed the spot right behind Tony's jaw, lips tracing a path back to Tony's mouth. "I've got you," he whispered, right before he kissed Tony again.
Tony groaned and fell into the kiss, hands on David's arms for balance, vaguely aware that one of David's hands was around the back of his neck and the other was on his face, holding him close. It was...amazing.
"Just relax," David breathed against his lips. "You don't have to worry about a thing. I've got you."
He swayed a little, grateful for David's support. "That's it, Tony," David praised him. "See how easy it is?"
Tony nodded; his head felt light, but his body felt heavy, limbs relaxed and full of lassitude. He sighed, letting David draw him in closer, stroking his hair and his face. David kept murmuring to him, praising him, and always, always touching him.
He had no idea why this had scared him before. It felt so...good now. Almost natural.
Abby skipped up to them, looking at both Tony and David before bouncing in glee. "So cute," she said, grinning. "Isn't he adorable?"
Tony had no idea whether she was speaking to him and didn't really care. David laughed and pressed a kiss to Tony's hair. "So sweet," he said affectionately.
"Where'd the power play boys go?" she asked, looking around.
"They left," David told her. "I'm thinking Stephen had something on his mind he couldn't bury entirely."
Abby grimaced. "He didn't seem to, when we came here. But something was bothering him before we left."
"Stephen tends to worry things over in his mind. Odds are this one wouldn't stay quiet and Joshua noticed." David shrugged. "They'll be fine."
"Cool." Abby nodded. "Well, if you two would like to go, I'm cool with that. I mean, I'm having a blast, but Tony here looks...well." She grinned. "He's so cute!"
Tony roused enough to make a face at her. "Are we leaving?" he asked, looking at both of them.
"I think so." David stroked the side of his face. "You okay to drive?"
"Oh yeah." Tony grinned and shook his head, feeling the light-headedness dissipate. "No one drives my baby but me."
"Got it." David grinned and slid off his stool. "Just like no one touches my clarinet but me."
Tony's head had cleared a bit by the time they reached the car, enough for him to think about what he was actually doing. "David--" He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "It's not that I don't want this. You. Whatever. Abby, shut up."
She covered her mouth to hide the snicker.
"But...you deserve the truth, which means you really need to talk to Stephen about how we met before this goes any further." Tony blew out a breath. "Okay?"
David nodded. "You've piqued my curiosity, but okay. I'll talk to Stephen this week."
"I can still drive you home," Tony offered.
"Too much temptation." David grinned. "I'll take the Metro. It's not far." He kissed Tony lightly and headed off into the night.
"Okay," Abby said once he was gone. "That was completely noble and also utterly idiotic."
"He deserves to know, Abs."
"You're making this such a big deal!" she exclaimed, gesturing. "It's not!"
Tony looked at her evenly. "How long did it take you to get over nearly proving I'd killed someone?"
As he'd thought, she subsided, looking down. "You don't play fair," she muttered.
"It's a similar situation. David deserves to know I nearly put his friend away for murder." Tony opened the car door. "C'mon, Abs. Let's go home."
on to part two