The Cursed Library

[Seth Spiros]

The winter festival. Kind of campy, kind of a small schtick. It wasn't a night club, it wasn't one of the local bars. It was a kid friendly type of event, with live music and fresh-made food and games. There were rides, too, for the kiddies but those weren't the reason to go. It was kind of a date. Okay, it was a date. He was asking Alexo on a date. And the festival seemed more interesting than simply sitting down together at a coffee shop. Although he wasn't opposed to that, either. Or dinner. Movies.

Anything to get away from the fact that Alexo had his arms around him. That he could kiss him at any given moment. He should... He asked but... Alexo didn't say it with words and Seth didn't want to cross any wires. He still felt like he was dealing with somebody delicate. Alexo said it himself; it could be a long and rocky road to recovery. People didn't just drop all their vices overnight. The habits were still there. The addictions, too, if it was that bad.

But god, he wished... sometimes he wished he wasn't so... him.  Right now, he wished he could just close the distance between them. Kiss him. It could wait, though. And yes, he wanted to do this properly. And no, he didn't know what it meant. What did it mean? Ah. Well...

"...you shouldn't." Seth wasn't asking him out so that he could take a roundabout road to having Alexo "put out" for him, as he so inelegantly put it. Dating, going out, that was another form of getting to know the other person. Different environments, different activities. What did Alexo like? What didn't he like? Did the childish games at festivals amuse him or was he more interested in trying the food? Did he just want to walk hand in hand and talk? It wasn't as simple as asking the questions, like some dry interview. It was about the experiences and having them together. Learning things first hand, by action and not by words.

But before Seth could try to explain that he wanted to get to know him better, Alexo was whipping out that odd sexually charged charm of his again.

"Ah..." His mouth felt dry as Alexo wetted his lips. And it would have been a lie to say that there wasn't a certain heat and growing tightness in his groin. Not helped by the way Alexo spoke or the images his words evoked. Seth cleared his throat. It was just his bad habits showing through again. His confidence seemed linked to his sexuality. Maybe it gave him a sense of control over a situation. Seth didn't want to rob him of either confidence or control. But... this wasn't the way, if he wanted to grow away from that victim in the club.

"I prefer to wait." He edged back so he could swing his legs off the table and stand. It was half to shake himself off so he could think straight and half because he now felt restless. Sitting there with his legs open... made things far too obvious.

"I'd rather get to know you first, not your body." He reached over to touch the side of Alexo's head, echoing Alexo's own actions earlier. "Here," he said, then touched his chest. "And here." But to acknowledge the... rest. He pointed downward. "Before here. You understand...?"

[Alejandro Riviera]

It was a pure-hearted request, going to a festival together. That seemed to be a small-town kind of deal, festivals and socials and gatherings. In New York it was raves, night clubs, giant outdoor music festivals thronging with people and loud, obnoxious music. Alejo didn't know anything about the former; he knew all about the latter. He was at home in a club where he could flaunt his body and move like a sleek panther, stalking out his prey from across the room. That was the environment that he grew up in, and the only one he knew.

Coming here and becoming immersed in this small-town atmosphere was a strange change for him. A lot of those old habits were ingrained; he didn't lie when he said that the road was bumpy and probably at times also unpleasant for everyone concerned. And he asked in seriousness; he wanted Seth to be sure that he wanted to come along for the bumpy ride along that bumpy road. Some days it might be a rollercoaster of emotions. Some days it might be calm as that little placid lake just outside of town, hardly a ripple on the mirror surface.

He turned his body to follow Seth's rapid retreat but he didn't chase him. Alejo watched him with a bemused half-smile, wondering if he'd gone too far. Did he scare Seth off? With his honesty? There was honesty in what he said, even if he phrased it a certain way. He knew how to buckle down. He could wait, if he had to, if it was the right man at the right time. Sure felt like it; this felt right.

Alejo followed the hand at the side of his head, at his heart, at the areas below. Slowly he clasped Seth's hand in both of his and brought it to his lips. "Of course I understand. If I didn't, I would have kissed you the night we met." He wasn't stupid, or blinded by attraction and lust. He could see that pure heart trying to reach out to his, to make a genuine connection. Seth was serious about this—him—them. There was a good, genuinely sweet heart on the line here and Alejo knew better than to trample all over it with a few badly timed jokes and come-ons and lines.

He kissed Seth's hand, the knuckles and then the fingers, with the reverence of a serf worshipping the hand of a sovereign King. Then he let it go and sat himself back down onto the bench. His chin went back into his palm again and idly he scuffed the heel of his boot along the ground. "I'm not so broken that I can't tell when someone's serious about me. It's just been a while since anyone's asked me out. Usually I just meet them at a club, and everyone says that's a terrible place to try and find a partner." There was something a little wry, but still amused, in his smile. "Maybe you'll prove them all wrong, though..."

[Seth Spiros]

So there was something a little more gentle in Alexo's arsenal than pure sex appeal. Color him surprised. Okay, not really. Seth had a feeling there was more to him than just raw sexuality. The same could be said of any man, no matter how flirtatious they were. It just seemed to be a part of Alexo's nature but it didn't mean that Seth had to let things devolved into just sex.

Hence the festival. A calm, no-stress date. That was how he saw it, anyway.

Seth leaned against the table and regarded Alexo with amusement. The whole club thing... He cleared his throat and scratched idly at his nose a little sheepishly.

"I actually... I don't normally go to clubs like that. This guy Will who works here as a security guard too, he recommended it to me when he noticed I've been a little... tense lately. I don't know why I went that night... but I'm glad I did."

[Alejandro Riviera]

"Really? Oh wow." Alejo laughed--but it was a half-amazed laugh, half-disbelieving laugh. "Talk about fate, huh?"

Someone put Seth there, he thought. Someone looking out for him--maybe his own little angel looking down on him, keeping him from making the worst mistake of his life! Or a lucky star, perhaps? Brayden told him about that and he liked the thought of it. A star somewhere, keeping him safe from harm, leading Seth to him that fateful night...

It was a cute idea, true or not.

Alejo pushed the food closer to him. "Well, I'll have to thank your friend Will if I ever meet him! He gave me... a new lease on life. In the form of you." His smile was frank, shades of a more innocent, playful Alejo--the one who used to have at least some semblance of his life in order before he came here. That Alejo, people liked a lot. He just didn't like himself... but he could learn to. Seth had already taught him to, a little bit.

"Come on, let's eat! And then I should really go... find some appropriate date clothes." Something nice and toned down--for the children. He didn't want to scare any kids. No leather pants, definitely not! He paused, then added with a little twinkle in his eyes and an impish smile, "Something not easy to take off."

[Seth Spiros]

Yes, talk about fate. There really felt like something was in the air between them. Seth didn't think it was just him; after all, Alexo did try to... seduce him not too long ago. But... Seth didn't want to just be another notch on Alexo's bedpost and he was pretty sure that was all he would be if they just slept together. Not to mention that wasn't really Seth's MO in the first place. He wanted to get to know the people he slept with... made love with. That was how it should be. Perhaps he really was a mama's boy but that was how his mother taught him to approach romance. It had been aimed at courting women but... it was no different, Seth thought, just because he was now dealing with a man.

"Thank you," he said, reminded of the food that Alexo brought. He sat aboard the table once more and opened up the bag to find some familiar looking food. He half smiled.

"A taste from home?"

See, he knew Alexo was a thoughtful person. It was good that he was opening up to that side of him, rather than knocking himself down over and over again. Seth barely knew him at all. Didn't even know him when he helped him at that club. But even he could see the worth in him. He was glad--warmed in the heart--to see that Alexo was embracing that part of himself now too.

He looked over Alexo's clothing with amusement. Today he was dressed nothing like he had been that night. Did this not count as acceptable date night clothing, then? It was hard not to be drawn in by that impish smile though.

"No," he said after a moment, "You can't make it too easy."

With that, he began to eat. They conversed a little, about what kind of things the winter festival here might have--neither of them had attended it before, so all they had was speculation and the word of others to go off of. Before long, however, Seth reluctantly had to tell Alexo it was time for him to get back to work. As he packed everything back up and led Alexo back down to the library, he told him he when he would pick him up that weekend and to be ready.

He almost did something foolish and kissed him goodbye as they reached the door--it felt natural. But he didn't. He kept his hands and his lips to himself.

"I'll see you then, Alexo." He didn't think Alexo really knew how much he was looking forward to it.