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Another afterparty, another opportunity for relaxing. Reclining on the overstuffed couch in the lounge area of the club, Yukio was beginning to think of this place as not only a comfort club, but as his and Holland's. This club, after all, was where he first really got to know his now-partner after the holiday gig he'd done; it was also the place where they'd met up for their first date. He'd been here plenty of times before and was on good terms with the bartender and the rest of the staff, but it all felt different now, more special.

Yukio looked calm and relaxed, but inside he was a bundle of nerves. Tonight they were meeting up with some of Yukio's friends, so that he could introduce his boyfriend to them. He wasn't sure if he should play it as himself or as DJ Buster -- Yukio hadn't bothered to change out of his DJ gear, he rarely did for post-gig afterparties. His friends had been giving him the hairy eyeball lately, more out of curiosity than anything, and he wanted to n** any rumors in the bud.

Texting the bartender (Rusty was a good friend and an adroit bartender) for a refill of his drink, Yukio really could do nothing except wait for Holland to turn up. Hopefully this would go as well as meeting Daisy at the Korean cafe had, only in reverse…

"Hey you," Yukio replied with the faintest of smiles, placing a hand on Holland's chest. "You were dancing up a storm at the gig. Guess you had fun." He moved his hand up to tap his diminutive partner on the nose. It was true, though, he did a good show tonight, at least in his own estimation. The crowd were dancing almost frantically in front of him, and Hol was just as vigorous in his enjoyment of what his DJ boyfriend had spun. Yukio enjoyed nights like this.

Rusty came with a refill of his drink and gave both Yukio and Holland a drink before heading back to the bar, causing Yukio to turn the slightest shade of red. It was still new to him, this whole being attached and off the market thing, and while he knew he'd eventually get over himself, it was like schoolyard teasing, something he'd experienced as a teen, being an acne-faced skinny nerd. (At least the acne was gone now…)

"So," he said to Holland with a sigh. "You'll be meeting a few of my fellow DJs tonight. Rolf, who DJs drum-and-bass, Tina LeFay the queen of electro-swing, and Dodger, who I sometimes do shows with – basically she does EDM and techno like I do. They only know me as Buster, so." He moved his hand so he was cradling Hol's head, thumb caressing his cheek. "How are you doing? Going to be okay?"

Yukio didn't disappoint in displaying the patented poker face. Leaning over, he gave Holland a light kiss on the forehead. "Love you too," he murmured just so Hol could hear it, then straightened and took a sip of his drink, expressionless as ever. Inside, though, he was chuckling. Holland was gonna Holland every opportunity he got, wasn't he?

It wasn't long before a raucous laugh cut over the music in the lounge area, and a trio of people entered, apparently having much too good of a time. "There they are." Yukio gently evicted his boyfriend from his lap and stood. "The Three Musketeers have arrived," he announced, stepping around the table to greet them. He gave hugs to all of them: Rolf, a shortish bear of a man with a pink crewcut; Tina, who was dressed like a Depression-era goth; and Dodger, a small butch-looking woman in a flannel shirt. They all returned Yukio's hugs with smiles and laughs.

"Buster, my man, my friend!" Rolf fairly roared. He apparently was the source of the laugh. "Heard you knocked it out of the park at the holiday show! Sorry I missed it!"

Yukio nodded, expression still flat. "Yeah, I want to say it was my best set ever, at least so far. I had a lot of fun being DJ Santa for the night. I, uh, also got something else out of it." Turning, he gestured back to Holland on the couch. "A, um. Boyfriend."

The three DJs looked at Holland as one. "Cute!" Dodger said with a grin. "Didn't know you bent that way. Hi, Buster's boyfriend! I'm Dodger. Nice to meet you!"

"Thank you, honey!" Tina purred, holding out her gloved hand for Holland. "I'm Tina LeFay, part-time DJ and full-time goddess. You are a delight! Buster, I love him already."

Rolf stepped forward and shook Holland's hand before Tina could grasp it. "Hey, great to meet you, Holland! Rolf Spoilsport. Nah, the Spoilsport part is a joke, an old one," he laughed with a huge grin that revealed a couple of gold teeth. "So you've managed to capture the heart of our friend here, that's some accomplishment! Buster's been chased by some of the best, and he hasn't given in until now. You must be one helluva-"

"Rolf, please," Yukio interjected, putting a hand on Rolf's shoulder before turning to Hol. "This guy took me under his wing when I was first starting out as a DJ. He got me some of my first gigs. Dodger here was one of my earliest friends on the circuit. And Tina I met while dancing at one of her shows." He was trying not to be nervous, but he wanted his friends to like his choice in partners. "What do you all want to drink? They're on me."

"NO WAY BUSTER, I'm treating," Dodger protested, walking to the bar but not before giving Holland a cheeky wink. "What does everyone want? Holland, you first, don't argue."

Yukio's eyebrow went up. He didn't know Holland to drink alcohol… Hadn't he said something about it being too much for him? Deciding to keep an eye on his boyfriend, he relocated to the couch with Hol in tow, sprawling one arm across the back and giving Holland's hand a squeeze before putting his arm around the small man's shoulders as the others took their seats. "Rusty knows what I'm having," he told Dodger.

"Yeah, but I don't," she grinned. "I'll have what he's having, and a Long Island with extra lemon, and… well?"

"Aviator for me," said Tina as she scooted next to Yukio so she could see Hol better. "So ******** cute, Buster, the two of you. Just, you're giving me cavities."

"Yuengling bottle," added Rolf, turning to Holland. "So, you wanna learn some of the tricks we use? I'd be more'n happy to show you. It's really not that complicated – learning your way around the mixer is really the hardest part. Lots of dials and controls to fine-tune your sound. I know Buster here knows his stuff, he could show you some of it too." He grinned again. "Oh, the teeth? Got 'em knocked out in a mosh. Couldn't resist getting the bling," he laughed.

Dodger returned and sat down on Holland's other side. "So, how did you two meet? I wanna hear it from him, so keep your facehole shut, Buster," she scolded as Yukio started to elaborate; he snapped his mouth closed, giving Dodger an inscrutable look. This was going to be an interesting evening.

Holland's doki doki eyes made the assembled DJs laugh. "Yeah, Buster does have a flair for the dramatic," grinned Rolf. "And he tends to attract some pretty rabid fans. Oh, the hardships of being a celebrity – when fans turn into lovers."

"You accidentally kissed him?" Tina, draped over Yukio's shoulder, raised her hand to her mouth. "Oh my gawd, that's so romantic. Like a Hallmark movie."

Dodger scowled at Rolf. "I doubt that Holland here is just some fan, Rolf. I don't think Buster would fall for just anyone. Like he's had ample opportunities before now and never came away with someone. This guy is something special."

Yukio could feel his face turning just the slightest bit red as his friends talked around him like he wasn't there. He wondered what Hol was thinking, getting grilled by a bunch of DJs like this. "Holland is very special to me," he chimed in, "and yeah, I wouldn't have just gone for any fan-"

"Hush," said Dodger. "We're asking the questions here." She focused again on Holland, a kind smile on her face. "Sorry about all this, we're just kinda fond of Buster – we don't want to see him get hurt again. Did he ever tell you about that?"

"He was seeing this girl he was really in love with," said Rolf. "Like seriously. Totally into her. She turned around and dumped his a** for a more famous DJ with no warning, just BAM ******** you. He quit DJing for awhile after that, almost two years, he was so destroyed by it. I think I was the only friend he'd even talk to about it. About anything."

"Guys…" Yukio tried to intercede in the conversation.

Tina placed her hand on his leg. "I hadn't heard about this. You poor dear."

"Anyway," continued Dodger, "we're kinda protective of him."

Yukio was beyond embarrassed and aghast at Rolf. Yeah, the guy could be blunt, even oafish at times, but this was going too far. Talking about his past relationship trauma like it was common knowledge wasn't fair to him. He started to say something to his friend and mentor, but Holland beat him to the punch. The intensity of the words coming out of the small man's mouth surprised him a little – he'd never heard a bit of temper from Hol – but even as an eyebrow went up, he knew he shouldn't have been surprised at all. Holland was nothing if not passionate, in life and in love and in everything in his life. It was one of the things he loved about him. And when Holland finished and slid his hand into Yukio's, smiling up at him, the DJ felt even more in love with him than ever before.

"Hey, sorry sorry, friend," Rolf said hurriedly, holding his hands up and leaning back. "I didn't mean anything- I was just- We all have had fans like- AAAAAAAAAAAAA ******** IT I'M JUST GONNA SHUT THE ******** UP." Grabbing his beer, Rolf sank into the couch cushions, arms crossed and face red from the verbal tongue-lashing he'd just gotten.

Tina patted Yukio's leg and looked over her shoulder at her friend. "Honey, you been told. Attaboy, Holland," she smiled at the small pink-fringed man and patted his and Yukio's joined hands. "Anyone can see that it's true love between you two. And I think you're just perfect for him."

"Yeah, I can see it too," added Dodger, putting her hand on Holland's shoulder. "Sorry about Rolf, he has no idea what boundaries are." She sighed and cast Rolf a baleful glare before turning back to Holland and Yukio. "Good choice, Buster. He suits you." Her face split into a grin. "So when's the party starting, huh? This is a cause for celebration if there ever was one!"

Bewildered and relieved, Yukio got hugs from both Tina and Dodger before they left the couch and dashed off to get more drinks – maybe even a bottle. With a sigh, he looked at Holland, adoration in his golden-yellow eyes. "Trial by fire," he murmured softly. "Sorry about that. You doing okay?"

Yukio could almost sense Holland's need for cuddles, and he wrapped his arms around his partner's shoulders and gave him a lingering hug. "I love you," he whispered into his ear before releasing him, keeping one arm around him and holding him close.

Rolf looked over and saw the wide-eyed apologetic expression on the smaller man's face and had to smile at him. "Nah, it's cool, I deserved that. Sometimes I put my foot in my mouth so far up I can kiss my own a**," he said with a chuckle. "Buster, I'm sorry, and I'm sorry to you too, Holland. You're a good guy, and Buster needs a good person in his life. Glad to see he's got one now."

"Apology accepted," Yukio nodded at Rolf. "Just… chill, please? We got this, Hol and I."

A peal of laughter cut through the noise in the club as Tina and Dodger made their way back to the couch with a big bottle of some kind of fizzy wine, doing that Sugar and Spice trot Tina saw on Youtube; it was especially funny to see butch Dodger doing it. "Who wants some pink champagne, babies?" chortled Tina, who sounded like she'd already had plenty. "Holland, sweetie, you want some?"