Fic that has been betaed!
Oct. 1st, 2006 11:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eliyesI am de-privatizing this from the original betas-only post because I'm too lazy to post it anew.
If only things had gone like this when JP showed up... Inspired by Bobby's car.
Metaphor for a Promising Beginning
The campus was nice, he had to admit. Not quite a vast and impressive wilderness, but large enough to stand out as unusual for private property in New England. As he strolled along, manicured lawns and gardens and sports fields – the baseball diamond was particularly well-used, he noted – gave way to wilder greenery. The woods began by the quaint pond the alumni called a lake, and continued to the edges of the property, away from town.
Jean-Paul chose one of the many paths to ramble along, trying to get a feel for the place, imprinting it in his mind against future need to know it with his feet when the scenery was just a blur. He'd fly patterns over it later, for similar reason.
Yes, the place was lovely, and there was some delightful eye-candy living here. Just because he could look but not touch didn't mean he wasn't enjoying looking. A touch frustrating, but he was used to it and would barely notice. Logan was here and could be trusted to let Jean-Paul blow off steam over beers now and again.
The only thing that could push the frustration into irritating levels would be developing an attraction that was more than merely physical for one of his unavailable teammates. He'd dealt with that before, as well...
It was possible that it could happen again. One man in particular had already piqued his interest – although he might be aiming more for being an asshole than being funny, based on first impressions. Beyond first impressions, though, Bobby seemed to be an acknowledged joker, as flirtatious as he was sarcastic, and an unexpected soft touch with the young.
Yes, there were possibilities there. He'd been listening, passively collecting information. He hadn't heard that Bobby was dating anyone, or looking to, or any mention of "girlfriend" at all. Bobby spent most of his time not actively "working" hanging out with his friends, who were mostly here. He called his parents weekly; there seemed to be some health concern over his father and general exasperation with his mother.
So long as there was no indication that Bobby did not like men, Jean-Paul would allow himself to hope, but tentatively. It was always much easier when you knew which way a man went, and sometimes he wanted that – but even more he enjoyed the thrill of the chase. That illicit delight in discovering and then sharing the secret took him back to the romances of his youth.
Of course, Jean-Paul's preferences were not secret at all these days, so if Bobby were interested he could make a move. Perhaps his casual teasing was a move, a testing of the waters since they'd only just really met beyond "help us fight this alien invader!" Hard to say.
As his mind wandered down these paths, his feet had brought him to a road through the woods. He was about to cross it when he heard something, an approaching hum. He thought it was coming from deeper into the property, but wasn't sure. Well, whatever; it would be someone leaving the mansion, or someone going to it, and either could be interesting. He loitered beside the road.
A car, he realised, but a finely-tuned one. It was the purr of an expensive engine he was hearing, not some noisy roar. It rounded the curve into view, and he congratulated himself on his good guess. It was a little silver sports car, a two-seater, with the top down. It slowed as it neared, and pulled to a stop just beside him.
Bobby grinned at him from the driver's seat, eyes twinkling behind shockingly purple sunglasses. Jean-Paul was a bit bemused by this echo of his thoughts, and pursed his lips.
"Hey, handsome," Bobby said casually, slinging one arm over the back of the passenger seat. "Wanna go for a drive?"
Jean-Paul took his time walking up to the side of the car, sliding his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and tilting his head considering. He flicked his eyes over the car – sleek little beastie, made for maneuverability as much as speed – and then flicked his eyes over Bobby, with much the same assessment. His snug jeans and plain navy T-shirt suited him.
Jean-Paul smiled and quirked up an eyebrow enquiringly, which prompted a mischievous wink from Bobby.
"I may not go as fast as you're used to, but I promise I have a pleasant destination in mind," he said, and despite the devil in his face, his voice was equal parts innuendo and sincerity.
Hoping for sincere innuendo, Jean-Paul lithely jumped into the passenger seat.
"Whatever speed you want to take me is fine."
If only things had gone like this when JP showed up... Inspired by Bobby's car.
Metaphor for a Promising Beginning
The campus was nice, he had to admit. Not quite a vast and impressive wilderness, but large enough to stand out as unusual for private property in New England. As he strolled along, manicured lawns and gardens and sports fields – the baseball diamond was particularly well-used, he noted – gave way to wilder greenery. The woods began by the quaint pond the alumni called a lake, and continued to the edges of the property, away from town.
Jean-Paul chose one of the many paths to ramble along, trying to get a feel for the place, imprinting it in his mind against future need to know it with his feet when the scenery was just a blur. He'd fly patterns over it later, for similar reason.
Yes, the place was lovely, and there was some delightful eye-candy living here. Just because he could look but not touch didn't mean he wasn't enjoying looking. A touch frustrating, but he was used to it and would barely notice. Logan was here and could be trusted to let Jean-Paul blow off steam over beers now and again.
The only thing that could push the frustration into irritating levels would be developing an attraction that was more than merely physical for one of his unavailable teammates. He'd dealt with that before, as well...
It was possible that it could happen again. One man in particular had already piqued his interest – although he might be aiming more for being an asshole than being funny, based on first impressions. Beyond first impressions, though, Bobby seemed to be an acknowledged joker, as flirtatious as he was sarcastic, and an unexpected soft touch with the young.
Yes, there were possibilities there. He'd been listening, passively collecting information. He hadn't heard that Bobby was dating anyone, or looking to, or any mention of "girlfriend" at all. Bobby spent most of his time not actively "working" hanging out with his friends, who were mostly here. He called his parents weekly; there seemed to be some health concern over his father and general exasperation with his mother.
So long as there was no indication that Bobby did not like men, Jean-Paul would allow himself to hope, but tentatively. It was always much easier when you knew which way a man went, and sometimes he wanted that – but even more he enjoyed the thrill of the chase. That illicit delight in discovering and then sharing the secret took him back to the romances of his youth.
Of course, Jean-Paul's preferences were not secret at all these days, so if Bobby were interested he could make a move. Perhaps his casual teasing was a move, a testing of the waters since they'd only just really met beyond "help us fight this alien invader!" Hard to say.
As his mind wandered down these paths, his feet had brought him to a road through the woods. He was about to cross it when he heard something, an approaching hum. He thought it was coming from deeper into the property, but wasn't sure. Well, whatever; it would be someone leaving the mansion, or someone going to it, and either could be interesting. He loitered beside the road.
A car, he realised, but a finely-tuned one. It was the purr of an expensive engine he was hearing, not some noisy roar. It rounded the curve into view, and he congratulated himself on his good guess. It was a little silver sports car, a two-seater, with the top down. It slowed as it neared, and pulled to a stop just beside him.
Bobby grinned at him from the driver's seat, eyes twinkling behind shockingly purple sunglasses. Jean-Paul was a bit bemused by this echo of his thoughts, and pursed his lips.
"Hey, handsome," Bobby said casually, slinging one arm over the back of the passenger seat. "Wanna go for a drive?"
Jean-Paul took his time walking up to the side of the car, sliding his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and tilting his head considering. He flicked his eyes over the car – sleek little beastie, made for maneuverability as much as speed – and then flicked his eyes over Bobby, with much the same assessment. His snug jeans and plain navy T-shirt suited him.
Jean-Paul smiled and quirked up an eyebrow enquiringly, which prompted a mischievous wink from Bobby.
"I may not go as fast as you're used to, but I promise I have a pleasant destination in mind," he said, and despite the devil in his face, his voice was equal parts innuendo and sincerity.
Hoping for sincere innuendo, Jean-Paul lithely jumped into the passenger seat.
"Whatever speed you want to take me is fine."