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Their night had started out at home. BJ and Ducky paid for the dope. Jack paid for the rum. Vanessa had put on a low-cut tanktop, and then let all three of them suck shots of tequila out of the neckline. It was the furthest any of them had gotten with her- not for lack of trying, and Jack was sure that he could have, if he'd really wanted to, but Ducky was a little bit in love with her and Jack was a better friend than that.

Just barely a better friend than that.



Jack wasn't sure how they'd gotten to the bar. He no longer knew nor cared what his roommates were up to, or whether or not they got home alright. They were all adults. The night was young, and everyone swaying under the lights at La Belle was so attractive that Jack felt his blood spike with something other than alcohol. He took a swig of his drink, turned on the spot, and cocked an eyebrow at the little sparkle star who was -if he was not mistaken, and Jack knew that he was almost never wrong about these things- looking his way.



His wide mouth split into a handsome grin, eyes shining with more than a hint of mischief. Jack pointed at Sid, and then at himself, mouthed the words, 'are you looking at my bum?' because the music was loud and it was impolite to shout. Especially at pretty girls.



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*the song that's playing is: Shut Up and Dance, by Walk the Moon

He followed her hands with his eyes, the smile on his face flickering into a smirk as she touched herself- drawing attention first to the piercing in her navel, and then the slenderness of her frame, decked out in fish-net tights and a flirty little pleated skirt that made something tighten in Jack's throat. He was aware of the way she watched him, understanding that this was an invitation. Of sorts.



Only a fool would have walked away from her then. Jack had had a lot of names flung at him since the onset of puberty. Fool was not one of them.



He was dressed fashionably, in a simple pair of jeans and grey blazer with a white button up underneath. It was hot under the lights in his jacket, surrounded by all of the other sweating bodies, but Jack had learned a long time ago that it was always better to wear one than to go without. Ladies often got cold in the taxi on the way back to his place, or theirs, and Jack was pretty sure that there were few things in the world more tragic than a chilled woman.

He finished off his drink with a flourish, interrupted a couple dancing next to him by tapping the gentleman on the shoulder. The other man stared back, obviously displeased, but curious. Jack offered him the beer bottle. He took it without thinking.

"Thanks," Jack said, grinning wide, leaving him with his date and the empty bottle so that he could tend to the little sparkle star who'd caught his eye.



He approached Sid from the side, took up the space behind her with a confidence that he felt deep in his bones. Years of drama and participating in musicals meant that Jack was a practiced dancer. He knew how to move his hips, and was pleased by the way they fit behind hers. He did not press too close- was careful not to touch her, not yet. But he was there, shoulders broad, chest lean and firm.



"Hey," Jack said, lips hovering a friendly distance above her ear. His hands came up to ghost along her forearms, palms gliding under hers. He twined their fingers together, guided her arms to his neck. "My name is Michael."

"Hi, Chou."

Jack's lips twitched into a lopsided smile when Sidney backed her hips up into his. He did not need to answer her question with words. She was a vision of quirk and confidence in front of him, hips rolling to the beat of the music. His hands smoothed down the length of her forearms, touch feather-light.



He found her hips with his hands. Held on, grip almost tender. Jack was an excitable man, and he was often impatient, but never when it came to moments like this. They were in public. It was just a dance. And Jack knew better than to push too far too soon. He pressed close- made sure that Sidney could feel him behind her, and worked to match the rhythm that she set.

"You have the coolest ******** hair," he rumbled next to her ear.

The conversation was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Jack was smirking behind Sidney, hands firm on her hips. His skin tingled in the wake of her roaming fingers.

"Nah, babe," he said, taking care with his voice at her ear. Jack spoke low and deep and never too loudly. "Destiny City born and raised."

His mother was a semi-truck driver. His father a hitchhiker that she'd picked up one night, and then dropped off on the other side of town. She had never known his name, and had not hidden that fact from Jack. He considered himself a product of a whirlwind romance. Knew that there had probably been open bags of cheetos on his mother's dashboard.



When it came to the men and the women that he loved, Jack was not a particular man. He was a hedonist to the core; as likely to try picking up a little sparkle star like Sidney as he was to go home with somebody who looked like Dave Grohl.

"The club is nice..." he said, voice husky, hands leaving Sidney's hips to smooth along her thighs. She was so tiny compared to him- it filled Jack with a sense of his own strength, and he could not help being just a little bit thrilled by that. "... I'd like it better back at my place."

Nothing about this was new or strange to Jack, who did not so much as blink when Sidney redirected his suggestion towards the bar. He understood the power of patience. Knew even better that he was good at getting his way. If Sidney happened to decide she disliked the sound of his home, then that would be fine. No skin off his back.

But he was feeling pretty confident about his odds, considering she had her fingers in the waistband of his pants and seemed about as likely to let him go as he was to not buy her that drink.

"Well..." he started, lips twitching at the corners, "... I've got this great view from my bedroom window."

Jack haled the bartender with a wave of his hand. The woman nodded at him, busily pouring drinks for the line of patrons already there. His free hand lingered near the small of Sidney's back- and then shifted to the counter, arm solid around the slight frame of her shoulders, when a clumsy drunk knocked her into his side.

The drunk proceeded both to slur loudly and spill his beer all over the floor. Jack switched places with Sidney so casually it could have been coincidental.

He smiled down at her, broad back to the man beside him.

"I have this roommate who makes the most amazing chocolate chip cookies-

"What can I get you kids?" The bartender gestured at Sidney and Jack with her chin, slender hands ready to take their orders.

"Fuzzy n****e for me," Jack said. He cocked an eyebrow at Sidney. Bit his lip. There was a playful light in his brown eyes.

"It's a house, actually. With a backyard big enough for a German Shepherd."

Jack was the kind of man to whom smiling came easy. He was lit up with a laidback sort of energy- not inclined to mull over the past, or the possible consequences of his actions, despite having suffered the loss of Proustite's strength as punishment for following Hematite at a time when he should not, apparently, have followed Hematite.

That was years ago, now.

And the only thing Jack had really learned, beyond the fact that it was better to be Proustite in a world where chicks like Cinnabar and Moonstone and Painite wielded pointy weapons, was that being bad felt good.

The girl he knew as Chou reminded him of himself. A little. She was fun and easy-going and as good at this game as he was.

Maybe better.

'I'd like a Screaming Orgasm.'

Jack was still chuckling when the bartender handed them their drinks. He paid without blinking over the price, took a sip from his Fuzzy n****e.

"The walls are still pretty thin, but... " he twinkled at Sidney over the lip of his glass, "... I enjoy myself just fine."

He was aware of the fingers that followed the line of his hip. Cocked an eyebrow at Sidney. Was willing to let her continue her little exploration unimpeded by his hands or his suggestions. He knew that he had pressed too soon, the first time he'd brought up his home. If Chou was as flighty as she was cute, it was better to let her play as she liked. Until the point that she agreed to leave with him, Jack knew that if he made too many wrong moves she might fly away. And, having taken in the piercings in Chou's lips and Chou's eyebrows, Jack had found himself very curious about the other places that he could not see.

"My roommates are understanding people. They've only threatened to kick me out once. "

"Unfortunately, no. Ducky kind of smells like a dog though."

Jack sipped more of his drink.

"Ducky's one of my roommates," he added, as an afterthought, eyes growing steadily wider every time Chou swallowed a gulp of hers. He was as impressed as he was amused when she finished the whole drink in a matter of moments, fingers steady on his own glass, which was still half-full. His lips twitched at the corners. He was curious about what other sorts of things she could do with that pretty mouth, but kept his thoughts to himself.

'Alright, You've convinced me. I'd really like to see this house of yours.'

Her fingers were warm where they found his lower back. Jack stood very still. Enjoyed the pressure of her body against his, and the way that she moved, and the smile on her face. Chou was sweet, he'd decided. Her hair reminded him of cotton candy.

'Although fair warning, if you get another drink or two into me, I can't be held responsible for my actions.'

Yes, he was beginning to learn that. Not that he minded. On the contrary, Jack was positively delighted by the liberties that Chou took with his body. She was free touch him as much as he liked, but he thought that he would not buy her another drink. Not because he wanted their fun to stop, but because he wanted her sober.

Wanted her to be able to remember, with fondness, all of the reasons she was sore the next day.

'I'm a handsy drunk.'

"What an interesting coincidence," Jack murmured. He reached for Chou, at last- hands firm, but kind, where they found her hips. He turned her slowly towards the bar. Took up the space behind her with a confidence that he felt deep in his bones. One arm rested on the counter top, picked up his glass again. His free hand wandered- from her hip to her navel. Lingered for a moment.

"I can be pretty handsy too," he breathed, fingers playing along the waistband of her skirt.