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“Don’t worry, I’ll be your DD,” he said with a chuckle. “And sure, I’ll take you back.”
Lou stopped for a second. “To your hotel, I mean. Yeah.”
He blushed, swirling his drink and looking down at it, his hair falling in his face a bit. He bit his lip, setting his jaw.
Jay's mouth twitched in a faint smirk. "I mean…I don't have a curfew." He said slowly. "I just need to be back by six a.m." he shrugged, taking a sip of his drink and looking over at Lou again. He tried to ignore the way his stomach was fluttering inside of him.
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“So… the night is ours?” he said. “W-Wait.. I-I didn’t mean it to come out that way.”
He shoved his face in his hands, and sighed, then looked back over at Jay, smiling in embarrassment. His heart was beating furiously. “S-sorry.”
Jay laughed. "Yes, the night is ours in whatever way we want." He replied with a grin. "And it's fine." He shifted in his seat, taking another sip from his drink. He tried to ignore the way his heart was racing.
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Lou almost choked. He had so not expected that response.
He looked at the man quizzically. His face flushed as he thought, Does he… could he feel the same way about me as I do about him?
Lou put his elbow up on the table, holding his now-empty glass loosely in his hand. He slid it back to Ally, who began to polish it.
Jay had nearly finished his own drink. "Now. If I remember correctly, you promised to show me around this fair?" He drained the rest, setting the glass down on the counter. He looked at Lou with a friendly, open smile.
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“Ah,” Lou said with a grin. “The music festival? Amazing.”
Lou smacked down a couple dollars on the table, took a deep, shaky breath, and grabbed Jay’s hand, leading him to the door. When they got there and Lou dragged him down the steps, he realized what he had done and dropped Jay’s hand instantly. He awkwardly began walking, his hands loose at his sides now.
Jay grinned, his heart fluttering when Lou took his hand. He sighed when Lou let go, walking alongside the Frenchman. "You know, you didn't have to let go." He said softly. He ran a hand through his hair, careful not to mess up the makeup Marco had put on his face.
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Lou’s heart jumped. “W-what?”
He glanced over, his stomach flipping as the sunset illuminated Jay’s face.
Jay smiled shyly. "My hand. You uhm…you didn't have to let go." he said slowly, biting his lower lip and studying Lou's face for a moment, then looking away shyly. "I-I mean…I don't know if you…" he shrugged helplessly.
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Lou happily laced his hand in Jay’s, blushing.
“Alright, then,” he whispered, his voice shaky and nervous.
He wondered if Jay could feel Lou’s heart beating through his hand as they walked side by side.
Jay smiled a little bit as Lou's fingers twined with his, glancing over at the Frenchman with a faint, shy smile. "I mean…y-you don't have to if you don't…want to." he added after a moment, even though he really didn't want Lou to let go. "I just…I just meant that I don't have a problem with it, but…" He trailed off. He could hear Marco in his head, saying not to mess this up.
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Lou smiled, squeezing the man’s hand slightly tighter.
“If I didn’t want to, I would have let go,” he said softly, leading the man through the streets. The music was growing louder each second.
Jay blushed. "O-oh. Alright." He said quietly, looking over at Lou and biting his lip slightly. He looked around the festival, smiling a little as he listened to the music.
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People were dancing in the middle of the square as portable lights flashed around. A jazz band was playing near the building on the far side and booths were lit up around. It was almost like it had been during the day, except with much more people and lights. It looked alive.
“So,” Lou said. “What would you like to do?”
Jay shrugged a little, looking around. "I don't know. What's your favorite part?" He asked, looking over at Lou curiously. He was acutely aware of Lou's hand in his, aware with each breath of each spot where his skin was touching Lou's.
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“Heck, I just love the music,” he said, then looked around.
“Wait a minute..,” he mumbled, his eyes locking on a spot. He glanced from Jay and then back and smiled.
“Come here. I wanna show you something.”
He tugged on Jay’s hand, leading him down one of the now-dark alleys. The music grew quieter and the sun was setting lower.
Lou swerved throughout small streets, seeing a few people still out and messing around. He nervously adverted his eyes as he became more aware of Jay’s hand.
He pulled Jay up a couple stairways, explaining to him, “Just wait. This place is stupéfiant.”
Finally, they came to a small clearing above the square. The road they were on curved, making an outlet they could stand on and see the beautiful lights of the festival. The music was quieter but still audible… more of a peaceful stage.
Jay smiled, letting Lou drag him around. He ran his free hand through his hair, and smiled when they reached their destination. "Oh. It's beautiful." He said softly, still holding Lou's hand gently. He looked out at the view, eyes traveling over everything as the music filled his ears and poured through his body. God, this was gorgeous.
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“It really is, huh,” Lou almost whispered, currently finding breathing a challenge. His heart was beating faster than it had been when they first started holding one another’s hand, which was hard to top.
He leaned against the railing, resting his free elbow on the top. He squinted down at the lights, everything taking on a fuzzy demeanor. He should have taken his glasses, but everyone said he looked better without. And he was trying his best to be better— for Jay, of course.
Jay looked over at Lou, watching him for a long moment. "What happened to your glasses?" He asked curiously. He remembered that Lou had had glasses the first time they met, but didn't have them now. He leaned on the railing too, standing just a hair closer to Lou than was probably proper.
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“Uh… I forgot them,” he lied, stuttering. His hands were shaking in just the slightest, but enough to be only a bit noticeable. His cheeks were bright red, but it was a little difficult to see in the dim light.
"Oh. Well don't next time. I like your face with them." He replied with a smile, hesitating for just a moment before bumping his hip against Lou's, still facing out and looking down at the festival.
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“You’d be the first,” he said softly, smiling. “But, thank you.”
He kept himself from looking over. He felt that if he locked eyes with Jay he’d melt. Or worse.
Lou shook his head slightly, checking the time. It was about six, but the sun was sinking quickly. He shivered slightly. Maybe from the cold— maybe not.
Jay smiled a little. "What can I say? I've always had a bit of a thing for guys with glasses." He replied, then blushed as he realized what he had just admitted. He cleared his throat softly, cheeks burning and red as he looked down at the festival.
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Lou had to keep himself from, well, screaming. A sudden catharsis.
He smiled. “Well, I’ve always had a bit of a thing for guys like you.”
He mentally smacked himself. What am I thinking? he asked himself. Why am I doing this? This isn’t normally like me.
Lou tousled his hair, having it fall in his eyes a bit as he internally screamed.
Jay blushed harder at that. "Uhm. I…" He ducked his head, embarrassed, and smiling. "Thanks." He said softly. After a few minutes of hesitation, he leaned his head on Lou's shoulder. He told himself it was because he was tired…but he knew that that wasn't the only reason.
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Lou started breathing deeper, holding onto Jay’s hand unconsciously tighter. He stood there, frozen, not knowing exactly what to do. His heart beat furiously— no doubt, Jay could probably feel it through his shoulder. If not that, probably his hand.
Jay held still. He could indeed feel Lou's heartbeat racing, but his own was too. He didn't say anything more, just stayed leaning against the other male, eyes closed as he listened to the music.
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Lou shivered again, pulling the side of his coat just a little more around him. He shakily fumbled with the bottom of it, nerves permeating his body. His skin tingled, like a thousand pricks had pierced through, but in a good way. Lou focused solely on the feeling of the man’s head resting on his shoulder— not the most comfortable choice. Lou knew his shoulder to be boney due to lack of muscle, but if Jay was happy there… he was happy, too.
(I gtg soon)
Jay kept his eyes closed. Sure, Lou's shoulder was bony and uncomfortable, but it wasn't the worst place he had ever rested his head. Far from it. He was actually rather comfortable. He was also being careful not to smear the makeup that Marco had so painstakingly applied to his face.
