Title: THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC

Part: 01/02

Author: Candy Apple

Email: blair_lady@yahoo.com

Website: https://www.squidge.org/~candy_a

Direct to Nip/Tuck Page: https://www.squidge.org/~candy_a/NTPage.htm

Permission to archive: Yes

Fandom(s): Nip/Tuck

Genre: Slash

Pairing/Characters: Sean/Christian

Rating: FRM

Summary: Sean gets some bad news from Julia, and some good news from Naomi Gaines. Sean and Christian go out on their first date.

Warnings: None I can think of. Language consistent with Nip/Tuck.

Notes: This story only takes into account canon through the Granville Trapp episode. It is a sequel to "Revelations."

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THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC

by

Candy Apple

Sean knocked on the door of Julia's apartment, looking forward to spending a few hours with his daughter. They were going to an early dinner and then to the movie of her choice - - well, her choice that passed Sean's parental veto power, that is. The door opened after a few minutes, and Julia stepped aside to let him in.

"Is Annie ready?" he asked, smiling.

"She's at the Epsteins, having a sleepover with Tori."

"I don't understand. This afternoon, you said it was fine if I picked her up for dinner and a movie."

"I thought it was better if Annie wasn't here when you arrived because I knew how upset you'd be."

"About what? That she wanted to sleep over at her friend's house instead of going out with her father? Why would I be upset about that? She's a kid, it's no big deal. I can take her somewhere this weekend instead," he added, confused. He was disappointed, but he certainly wasn't angry with Annie wanting to play at a friend's house.

"She didn't want to go out with you alone, and I didn't think it sent the right message to her for the three of us to go."

"She didn't want to be alone with me? Julia, it was Annie who told the social workers she wasn't afraid of me and that I never hit her. Why would she not want to spend time alone with me now?"

"Matt told her that you broke his nose, so she shouldn't make you angry, no matter what."

"And you just sat there and let him say a thing like that?" Sean asked, stunned.

"No, of course not. Annie told me what he said. I guess he said something about it when he was taking her to school. She was afraid, and I didn't have the heart to force her to go with you until we've had a chance to work this out."

"Where is Matt?" Sean demanded, starting a cursory walk-through of the small apartment.

"He's not here. He went out."

"Does he have his cell phone with him?" Sean asked, picking up Julia's phone.

"I doubt he has it on." She waited while Sean dialed the number, but was greeted with Matt's voice mail. He hung up the phone without leaving a message.

"I want to talk to him, Julia. When he gets in, you call me. I don't care what time it is."

"Well, I do. I have a meeting first thing in the morning with a contractor for the spa."

"This is our family, Julia! How can you put your beauty sleep before getting our son straightened out?"

"You screaming at him again isn't going to accomplish that, Sean. I'll talk to him about it again, and I'll talk more to Annie tomorrow. Maybe we can set something up for you to spend time with her when you're not alone. Even with Christian along. Just let her get past what Matt said."

"Don't you get it? By doing that, we're giving credence to what he said! It might have scared her a little tonight, but we could have worked through it. Now, it looks like there really is some kind of danger to her from me. Didn't it occur to you to call me about this?"

"No, because I knew how upset you'd be, so I thought it would be better if we talked in person."

"Plan on having Annie ready to spend the weekend with me. The restraining order was dropped, and I have rights under the divorce settlement where my daughter is concerned. She has nothing to be afraid of, and until she has to spend some time with me, away from Matt poisoning her mind, she's never going to get it through her head."

"So we should just force her to think or feel the way you think she should?"

"No, Julia, we should stop letting her think her father is some kind of monster who poses a danger to her. The strongest way to send that message is to get a regular shared custody arrangement back up and running, and to show that you don't have any fears for her safety. We have to counter what Matt's telling her - - and we have to stop the flow of that poison."

"All right. I'll talk to her tomorrow after school, and let her know that she's spending the weekend with you."

"Fine. I'll pick her up Friday after school."

Sean left the apartment, not sure if he was irate, deeply hurt, or both. The fact that Matt still had such power to hurt him, frustrated him. It wasn't just that Matt had the ability to get the best of him from time to time, it was how deeply each of those angry, bitter gestures still hurt. Matt hated him with a passion, and Sean ardently wished he could learn to return that feeling. It would be so much easier to deal with Matt's behavior if he could turn off his paternal feelings and quit caring what happened to the kid.

As he entered his dark, empty house, he turned on a dim light in the kitchen and took a cold beer out of the refrigerator. There was left over cold chicken from last night's dinner. The maid cooked a meal on the two days per week she visited, always something Sean could eat cold or reheat when he did get home. He'd eaten almost none of the chicken the night before, but despite the ongoing gnaw of depression that soured his gut, he was empty, so he took out the plate and chose a drumstick and a few chunks of white meat for his dinner. Looking at his pathetic repast, he had to admit Christian was right - - he didn't really eat the way he should. Their dinner out was the last decent meal he'd had that he actually ate.

Smiling a little at the thought of their upcoming evening out, he sat in front of the television and clicked on the news channel. When the horrors of the world seemed to oppressive, he found a wrestling match on another network and left it raging in the background while he ate. The mindlessness of it was therapeutic. Like so many other nights, he dozed off on the couch, preferring it and the drone of the television to his empty, silent bedroom.

********

"I hope you don't think this is really narcissistic of me, but I wanted you to have this, and I wanted to drop it off in person," Naomi Gaines said, smiling brightly, handing him a wrapped package about the size of a shirt box. "Do you realize that every time I smile, I think about you?" Sean was stunned by the statement, and deeply moved.

"That's probably the nicest thing a patient's ever said to me," he said, smiling back at Naomi, who was seated opposite him at his desk. Her pretty face bore no reminders of the Carver's brutal attack.

"Open it," she prodded.

Sean did, tearing away the paper and lifting the lid of the box, pushing aside the tissue paper. Inside was a matted, framed piece that featured Naomi's "Self" cover, and a second, close up shot featured on the holiday issue of "Vogue". According to the features listed there, Naomi's story of her attack by the Carver, her surgery, and her subsequent comeback was included in the issue.

"The 'Vogue' issue comes out in a week or so. When it does, I'll send you a copy. I thought the pictures might be good advertising, but please feel free not to hang them up if you don't want to. The writer who did that story said she tried to contact you for a quote, but wasn't able to reach you."

"It could have been during the time the whole Carver arrest was going on. I avoided anyone from the press after the story broke. I hope I didn't mess anything up."

"No, not at all. I talked enough for both of us," she said, smiling.

"This is really lovely, Naomi. Congratulations on the second cover. It's a beautiful photo."

"You and your partner really didn't have to send me flowers just because I sent a couple implant jobs your way. There's no way I can repay you for this," she said, gesturing at her face.

"It was our pleasure to help you, and seeing you like this, your career taking off...that's a great reward. Christian will be really impressed when he sees this. I'm sorry you missed him. He had a consult he couldn't get out of."

"How is he? I've been through what he's going through, and it's not easy. I don't know him very well, but please tell him if he ever wants to talk, I'd be glad to. I'm doing some victim advocacy work on a volunteer basis, and it's very rewarding."

"I'll pass the message on. He's doing very well, but it's been a long road. You know how that is."

"I do, only too well," she said. "I should go. I have a photo session in an hour."

"Thank you again for this," Sean said, gesturing at the gift as they both stood.

"I never had the chance to tell you how sorry I was that he targeted you. Your scar isn't even visible - - did he cut your face?"

"You have nothing to apologize for, but thanks. Yes, he cut me right here," Sean said, indicating his right cheek. "It wasn't as deep as your lacerations, so it was even easier to repair."

"I just wish they'd catch him, you know? It's hard to put this behind you when he's still running around loose out there."

"You're right, but I'm sure he'll make a mistake one of these days, and the police will be there."

"Yeah, but to make a mistake, he has to keep attacking innocent people. Horrible. I still feel like I'm looking over my shoulder. So I got a dog. A big one."

"Good for you," Sean responded, smiling as he walked her to the door.

"I wasn't quite ready for a boyfriend, so I figured the dog could protect me with no strings attached for the time being," she added.

"Maybe I should get a dog," Sean mused, almost surprised the words came out audibly.

"Your daughter would probably love it," she said.

"Food for thought. Thanks again, Naomi. You made my day."

"Is business picking up? I noticed a couple of people in the waiting room."

"It's recovering. It takes time."

"I think you'll get some calls after the 'Vogue' article hits the shelves. I better run. Give my best to Christian," she said as she left.

Sean was about to close his office door again when Quentin stopped him with a hand on the open door.

"Do you have a minute?"

"I told you to pack up your things and be out yesterday." Sean turned away from Quentin and went back to his desk, sitting behind it.

"The office is cleaned out. I thought I'd drop these off in person," he said, laying the office keys on Sean's desk. Then he sat in one of the visitor's chairs. "I don't like the way things are ending here, Sean. We've always had a great working relationship and a lot of mutual respect for each other, and I'd like to leave things on a congenial note."

"You should have thought of that before you provoked Christian into a brawl and then made a remark about his attack."

"You're absolutely right. I let my juvenile tendencies run wild. I haven't been in a fist fight since high school, and there shouldn't have been one here, in a medical office. I also know that I came on a little strong where you were concerned, about going out. I'd like to apologize."

"I wasn't offended you asked me out. I was just annoyed that you didn't seem to understand the word 'no.'"

"I've never been very good at accepting that word," Quentin said, smiling. "I see something I want, and I go after it. In this case, I would just like your friendship and your professional respect. I accept that you're not interested in anything more."

"I appreciate your apology, Quentin, and I have never questioned your talent as a doctor, so you have my professional respect. I know there's been some unpleasant conflict between you and Christian, and that would be enough for me to not renew your contract, but at this point, we just don't have the business to justify a third doctor - - even if I wanted to change my decision at this point. Splitting half our usual profits three ways is just too much of a strain on us and the business."

"I understand. I've enjoyed working with you both, until things turned a little sour, and I regret any part I had in making that happen," Quentin said, standing. Sean did the same. "Good luck to you both," he said, and Sean shook his extended hand. "Personally and professionally," he added, withdrawing his hand. Sean regarded him a little suspiciously for a moment, then decided to let the comment pass. Amicable splits were always better than contentious ones, and a "former partner" beat an enemy any day.

"The same to you. I hope whatever your next professional move is, it turns out well for you."

"Thank you," Quentin replied, heading for the door. "There's just one other thing I think you should be aware of."

"What's that?"

"I think you might need to communicate to Christian that you're not interested in more than friendship. I hate to tell you, but since I do still think of you as a friend, I feel sort of obligated. I think he's in love with you. I've screwed another guy's girlfriend and gotten less of a response than when I asked you out for dinner."

"We've been friends a long time. I'm sure you misunderstood," Sean said curtly.

"Maybe. I just feel better having told you...getting it off my chest. In any event, take care of yourselves," he added by way of farewell, closing the door behind him.

********

Sean stood in front of his closet, scratching his chest and looking at his wardrobe. He started questioning himself why he'd even decided to change his clothes, since what he'd worn to work was perfectly appropriate for anything they'd do that evening. At least, he assumed it would be. Still, he knew Christian would arrive in some exquisitely tailored clothing, maybe wearing a shirt in some audacious color that really shouldn't look good, but did on him.

And there Sean would be in his sensible dress shirt and conservative tie, topped off with an equally bland sport coat.

He pulled out a dark suit, then put it back. It looked like a good outfit for a funeral, not a first date. Lurking near the back of the closet, there was an electric periwinkle shirt he'd gotten for Christmas from Erica about four years earlier, and he was always convinced she wanted him to look like a total ass by wearing the freakish color out in public. Or maybe she just wanted to show Julia how unadventurous he was in everything, including fashion.

In the spirit of experimentation, he pulled out an expensive suit that was a subtle gray blend fabric with a hint of a sheen to it, and hung the jacket over the striking shirt. A little smile crossed his face and he changed into the ensemble. Feeling like he'd at least upped the ante a little with his wardrobe choice, he checked his watch. Christian was due any minute, so there was no turning back, even though he was a little uneasy with the change in look, and wondered if it would amuse Christian more than impress him.

//Shit, I'm acting like a teenage girl on prom night,// he scolded himself, walking decisively out of the bedroom and resigning himself that he looked fine and he wasn't going to obsess over it anymore. This was Christian, and while they were calling it a date, they'd known each other for their entire adult lives. This wasn't like impressing someone you barely knew, who didn't care about you beyond how good you looked, how smooth your lines were, or how enticing your technique was to get them into the sack.

That thought brought him up short, just as he heard Christian's car pull into the driveway. Determined he wasn't going to give Christian the chance to ring the doorbell, or, God forbid, open the car door for him, Sean walked outside, pulling the door shut behind him. Sure enough, Christian was partway out of the car.

"I was coming to the door," Christian said, a little defensive.

"No, you weren't," Sean said, smiling slightly. "This isn't prom night and you don't need to come in and meet my parents."

"You're my date tonight. I don't pull up in the driveway and honk. It's never been my style."

"Look, Christian, I'm handling the whole date idea, but if that means you treat me like your girlfriend all evening, I'm going back inside, opening a beer, and watching some wrestling."

"So you like watching men in tights, huh? Maybe there's hope for me yet," Christian quipped, ducking back into the car and closing the driver's door as Sean got into the passenger seat. Christian's eyes lingered on him a moment before the car's overhead light went out.

"What?" Sean was already nervous. The damn color looked as asinine on him as he thought it did, and any minute, Christian, in his black suit and burgundy shirt, would tease him mercilessly about it.

"You look good."

"Uh, thanks." Sean was silent a moment the absurdity of all of this sweeping over him. Still, he'd agreed to play along, so the least he could do was give it his best shot. "So do you."

"Thanks. Ready?"

"To back out of the driveway? Absolutely. For the rest of the evening, I'll let you know as we go along."

"Fair enough," Christian responded, laughing.

********

In Sean's worst nightmare of how the evening could have progressed, he couldn't have envisioned anything this bad. Sitting in an expensive restaurant, complete with candlelight and soft music, and all he could think of was his dead mistress. He hadn't had the heart to tell Christian, who had probably called in a few favors and/or handed the maitre d' a hefty sum to get them in on short notice, that this was the last restaurant he'd taken Megan to before she died. The restaurant where he got powerful evidence of how sick she was and where his last optimism died a painful death when she was unable to keep from vomiting on the table. The restaurant where he'd sat outside with her and she'd told him she was going to take her own life.

"May I interest you gentlemen in one of our fine wines this evening?" the waiter asked, and Christian brightened immediately, having studied the wine list while Sean was staring at the menu with nothing but misery and bad memories swirling in his head.

"I can't do this," Sean blurted, setting the menu aside. He could almost feel Megan's ghost hovering nearby. She couldn't keep from vomiting that night; he'd just verbally vomited on Christian's perfect evening.

"Could you give us a moment, please?" Christian said to the waiter, a flawless and entirely phony smile on his face now.

"Of course. Please, take your time," the young man added, hurrying away from the table.

"We haven't even ordered the wine yet, Sean. You're not exactly giving this a chance."

"It's not that."

"Then what is it? Look, you said you'd at least give it a try. I know it's a little awkward, but - -"

"Christian, it's not you or the date." Sean took a deep breath. "This is the last place I brought Megan."

"Shit," Christian said quietly, setting the wine list aside. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, no real reproach in his voice.

"I know what it took for me to get the reservation because Megan wanted to come here so badly before she got so sick, so I knew what you probably went through to get us a good reservation on such short notice. I thought maybe it wouldn't bother me, that I could ignore it..." Sean shook his head. "I'm sorry. I feel this...lump in my gut and I couldn't eat here if I tried."

"Then we'll go somewhere else. Don't you get it? It's not the restaurant or the wine, it's you. I want to be with you tonight. Wherever."

"I appreciate you trying to make me feel better about this. I feel like a selfish asshole."

"Forget it." Christian reached over and covered Sean's hand with his own, and Sean fought the urge to pull back to avoid someone seeing them. He had to admit, if only silently to himself, that Christian's hand felt pretty good over his. "How about ditching all the fancy restaurant bullshit and getting some good Chinese?"

"It's a date," Sean joked, and Christian smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Damn right it is," he said. Flagging the waiter down, he handed him a folded up bill. "My partner isn't feeling well, so we're leaving. Thanks."

"Thank *you*, sir," he said, tucking the bill in his apron. "I hope you feel better soon, sir," he said to Sean, who smiled slightly and nodded.

********

The second restaurant choice proved to be a good one, and within minutes, they were talking as easily as they always did, ordering a variety of their favorites and sharing the food choices. Sean's funk over the first restaurant lifted almost immediately, and they lapsed into their usual comfortable enjoyment of each other's company.

"I can't believe you ordered the fugu," Christian said as soon as the waiter left the table, their variety of foods spread before them.

"They have good chefs here. It was terrific the last time I had it." Sean took a piece of the fish in his chopsticks and held it toward Christian.

"I'm not your food taster. I will if you will," he said, holding up a piece in his chopsticks, aiming it at Sean. With surprising coordination, they fed each other the pieces of fish at the same time, then savored the unusual taste. "This is good."

"You've had it before, right?"

"No, never. It never occurred to me to eat something that might kill me, but at least I'd go out with a good taste and a tingling sensation in my mouth, which isn't all bad. So, how did father-daughter night go last night?" he asked, choosing a spring roll for his next bite.

"It didn't." Sean sighed. "I showed up to get Annie, and Julia told me she didn't want to go - - she was having a sleep over at a friend's house instead."

"I don't understand. Julia purposely sent her somewhere else instead of letting her go with you?"

"Not exactly. Matt told Annie I broke his nose, so she shouldn't get me angry. Annie was afraid to go with me after that. She saw what Matt's face looked like at the time. She probably thinks I did all of that."

"Shit." Christian slumped back in the booth.

"He's going to poison her against me, and there's nothing I can do about it. I can't even get a hold of him to talk about it."

"Oh, I'll get a hold of him. By the back of the neck if I have to," Christian added. "We both will. We'll show up at his school and get him pulled out of classes, and we'll nail his arrogant little ass to the wall and straighten this out."

"I didn't think you believed in coming down hard on him."

"He's tampering with Annie's relationship with her father, and that's going to do some permanent damage to that little girl if we don't get this situation under control right now. Meanwhile, I think you should insist that Annie live with you."

"I don't have full custody."

"So sue for it. Julia doesn't spend any time with the kids with getting a business off the ground."

"After the restraining order and the visit from social services, I'd never get full custody of Annie."

"The restraining order was dropped, the whole story about Julia and you grabbing her is hearsay, and any bruises Annie had are attributable to soccer. Even if you don't end up in court, if Julia doesn't want to risk losing her daughter, she'll cooperate with letting her live with you full time and visit Julia instead of the reverse."

"You think that's better for Annie? Or better for me?"

"I know it would be better for you, but I don't think Annie has a good situation right now. You know how much I love Matt, and I don't think he means to hurt her, or would ever do anything intentionally to hurt her, but he's not in a good place right now to be taking care of his little sister. Besides, he's a seventeen-year-old boy. He shouldn't be given full responsibility for watching his sister. Teenage boys aren't the most reliable babysitters in the world."

"Annie's afraid of me. I just can't get my mind to accept that. I never hit her in my life. I never even raised my voice to her."

"Kids are impressionable, and Matt looked pretty bad for a while there. If Annie thought you did that, it would scare her. You have to set her straight."

"How can I? I *did* break his nose."

"So tell her that. But it was one blow, Sean. Maybe it shouldn't have happened, but it's not like you beat him up. And it's not like you've made a habit of it."

"How can I make Annie not be afraid of me and admit to her at the same time that I broke Matt's nose?"

"Tell her the truth, talk to her. She's an intelligent little girl, and she's not a baby anymore. She loves you, and she knows what kind of father you've been to her. Confide in her, tell her what happened, but be sure she knows it was one blow, one you regret ever happening, but that you never hit Matt before that, and that you never would again. Reassure her that you would never hurt her. When she's back with you for a while, she'll remember how it was between you, how she always felt safe with you."

"She'll be with me this weekend. I insisted. Would you go with me to pick her up Friday? Maybe she'd be less nervous with you along."

"If you want me to, I will. Do you want me to talk to her? I can pick her up from school, take her out for ice cream, and we can have a talk."

"That's weaseling out of it," Sean said, fiddling with a piece of fugu. "I need to talk to her. I guess I understand what Julia meant. I don't have the heart to scare her, even if she has no reason to be afraid."

"Why don't *we* take her out for ice cream, and we'll talk to her together."

"I think that would be good," Sean said, feeling relieved.

"We'll get this thing with Annie straightened out. And we'll deal with Matt."

"Thank you," Sean said, smiling.

"We're family. Those kids are like my own - - " At Sean's raised eyebrow, Christian added, "Maybe more that just like my own in Matt's case, but you know what I mean."

"All those 'we's' sounded nice for a change. It's been a long time since I felt like there was a 'we' involved with straightening out any of the...messed up shit in my life."

"There's a 'we' involved in it now, so relax and enjoy the evening. *We'll* work the rest of this stuff out."

They passed a good two hours eating and talking, the evening feeling less like a date than another wonderful visit with a friend. Still, Sean couldn't help feeling a subtle shift, as if Christian were already thinking of him as a life partner, not just a business partner and friend. They were strategizing how to deal with their children like any married couple might, and the feeling of being part of a cohesive team to deal with the problems with the kids lifted a huge weight off Sean's shoulders.

"Ready for phase two?" Christian asked, tucking the money for the meal into the little black folder with the bill. Sean handed over his portion, but Christian refused it. "This is a date, Sean. You pay when you ask me out."

"For God's sake, Christian, we've known each other twenty years now. I'm just throwing in my half."

"Throw it back in your wallet, and save it toward the date you're going to ask me out on after tonight."

"You're pretty confident I'm going to ask you out on a date."

"I rarely do a performance without the request for an encore," Christian replied, grinning.

Once they were in the car, Christian stole a glance at Sean, then looked back at the road.

"I think people riding in cars with serial killers look less nervous than you do. Unless those spring rolls are coming back up on you, you're scared shitless. You weren't this nervous taking the MCAT's."

"Where are we going?" Sean asked, the curiosity killing him.

"The suspense is really making you miserable, isn't it?" Christian teased. "But you're not a control freak or anything."

"Okay, so I'm not big on surprises. I haven't gotten too many good ones lately."

"Can't argue with that. But your luck is about to change," Christian added, turning into the parking lot in front of a very elegant-looking nightclub.

"I've never heard of this place," Sean said, looking around as Christian pulled into a parking spot. "The Swaying Palm?"

"It's a gay club. A nice, upscale, no whips-and-chains, kind of place. They have live music and dancing that started at nine."

"Christian, this is crazy. I'm not going into a gay club!"

"I'll defend your honor if anyone gets fresh," Christian replied, then chuckled. "We're going in together, and we're definitely coming back out together, so there's nothing to worry about. Besides, unless you're ready to risk running into someone we know while we're slow dancing, this is the best option."

"I didn't know we were going to be slow dancing," Sean responded.

"You're right. For our first date, we should have just gone to a tractor-pull or something. What did you think we'd do?"

"I'm not sure, but this wasn't it."

"But you're going to be a good sport and give it a try, right?"

"If some other guy gropes my ass, I'm outta there."

"If some other guy gropes your ass, he'll be out of there, head first. You're with me, remember?"

"You don't have to defend me."

"Look, this is a nice place. If you went to a nice club with a female date, would you worry that some other respectable guy like yourself was going to walk up and grab her breast? Being gay doesn't make you a predator."

"I know that. I'm not homophobic."

"You mean not unless you're outnumbered by them?"

"Okay, you've made your point," Sean conceded, chuckling. "It's not that I think something negative about gays. It just feels weird to go into a place like this when I'm...*not*."

"You're on a date with a guy, Sean. Tonight, for all intents and purposes, you are, and so am I. Now let's go in, order a few drinks, dance a little, and see where the night takes us."

Sean finally, reluctantly, agreed, and once inside, was embarrassed by the big deal he'd made of it. The Swaying Palm was a lovely place, really, and the clientele were all well-dressed, orderly people like you'd see in any other upscale night club. Couples were sitting at tables laughing and talking, others were dancing. The music was actually good. A pianist and saxophone player were doing instrumental versions of various popular songs and old standards, occasionally joined by a male vocalist. Once they'd found a table, a waiter approached them to take their drink orders. They agreed on a bottle of good wine, since they'd ended up just having soft drinks with their Chinese.

"You want to give it a try?" Christian inclined his head toward the dance floor.

"Sure," Sean said, forcing more confidence into his voice than he felt. "I warned you I'm not very good at this."

"You wouldn't be the first bad dancer I ever went out with," Christian said, standing as Sean did the same. They found some space on the moderately crowded dance floor. "I said you could lead, remember?" Christian quipped, but Sean just stood there a moment.

"I took some dance lessons with Julia before the wedding, but I really am not very good at this."

"Then I'll lead until you get the hang of it, okay?" Christian said, sliding his arm around Sean's waist and pulling him a little closer than Sean had expected.

"You've definitely got the edge in the experience department," Sean admitted, grateful that he only had to follow Christian's lead. Even then, he wasn't very confident that his traitorous feet wouldn't end up making a fool of him.

"You're doing fine," Christian said, as if he'd read Sean's mind.

"That's because we're not moving very much."

"You wanted to do the tango?" Christian asked, and Sean laughed.

"This is nice." Sean was quiet a minute, relaxing into just moving a little with the easy beat of "As Time Goes By." Christian's arm was around his waist, and his hand was firmly held in Christian's. His hand on Christian's shoulder didn't feel nearly as wooden as it had when they'd first started dancing. It all felt good. It felt like home. He knew he'd been using their height difference to avoid eye contact with Christian, but now he made the effort to change that. There was something more intimate in that eye contact than there could have been in a kiss.

"It's better than nice," Christian said, his voice sounding a little husky. "It's been the best evening out I've ever had."

"I find that a little hard to believe," Sean replied. "I've seen some of the women you've gone out with."

"What women?" Christian asked, though his tone didn't ask for an answer, and before he opened his mouth to list a few of the stunning women on Christian's conquest list, Sean realized what the remark really meant. Just then, the music wound down, and the saxophonist announced the musicians were taking a short break.

"I guess we should go back to the table," Sean said, since neither of them had moved, and most of their fellow dancers were leaving the floor.

"Can't let that wine go to waste," Christian responded, seeming a bit disappointed that a special moment had passed with the cessation of the music.

"I'll be right back," Sean said, leaving the table. Christian frowned a little, seeming a bit surprised that Sean, who had been uneasy even going into the club, was now going to navigate the restroom in a gay night club by himself.

When he was safely out of Christian's line of vision, he spotted the pianist at the bar, drinking a beer.

"Excuse me. Do you take requests?" he asked.

"Not ordinarily, but in your case, I might make an exception. What did you have in mind?" the musician asked. He was a tall, stocky man with dark hair, a close-cropped mustache and beard. Dressed in a white dinner jacket that matched those worn by the saxophonist and vocalist, he cut quite the impressive figure. Apparently, he found Sean rather appealing as well. Swallowing a little nervously, Sean figured it had to be the shirt.

"This evening is very special for my partner and me, and I'd like you to do a song for us, with your vocalist. The thing is, I'm not really a music expert."

"What's the occasion?"

"We've known each other over twenty years, but this is our first date."

"What changed that made you go out together after all that time?"

"A lot of difficult things have happened in our lives, and just recently, we went out and there was something else there than a friends' night out. He was just trying to cheer me up, but it was the only time in the last couple of years that I felt really good. I know he's nervous because he planned all this, and I haven't exactly been convinced it was a good idea. I don't even really know why I'm asking you to play something, when I don't know what to ask for."

"I think I have an idea. Leave it to me." He patted Sean's shoulder. "I'll come up with something spectacular, and Daniel will sing it flawlessly, as he always does."

"Are you and Daniel...together?" Sean asked.

"It was love at first sight," he said, then added, "For me. It took Daniel considerably longer," he said, laughing. "I saw him perform at another club one night, and I knew there'd never be anyone else."

"It was that sudden, huh?"

"Love doesn't punch a time clock, my friend. You two are definitely the slow burn types, but slow burning fires sometimes generate more heat, longer, than flash fires. You better get back there before he thinks you dumped him."

"Thanks," Sean said. "I'm Sean, by the way." He extended his hand, and the pianist shook it.

"Richard. Good to meet you, Sean."

********

When Sean returned to the table, Christian was craning his neck, looking for him.

"I thought you ducked out the back way," he joked, though it fell a bit flat.

"There was a line at the men's room. First time I ever had that happen outside a stadium at halftime."

"Looks like the music's going to start up again."

"Let's get out there," Sean said, standing again. Christian looked up at him a moment, surprised, but then stood also. "This was a great idea, Christian. Now I get what the lure of dancing is."

"Anything has a lure when you're doing it with the right person," Christian replied, holding out his hand, smiling brightly when Sean readily took it, and they moved out to the dance floor hand in hand like so many of the other couples.

"This is a special request," Richard said into the microphone mounted near his piano. "He let me choose the song, so I hope I picked a good one."

Christian looked at Sean quizzically.

"What?"

"You didn't go to the restroom, did you?"

"What makes you think it was me?" he said, easily moving into position to dance with Christian while they were talking, as if it was nothing unusual for them to be in each other's arms on a dance floor in a gay night club.

"Because you always had a lousy poker face," Christian said, smiling. Sean finally let him off the hook and moved closer, so they could dance cheek to cheek for the song Sean hoped would be as perfect as this feeling was.

//And I love you so

People ask me how

How I've lived 'til now

I tell them I don't know//

The singer's soft, rich delivery of the words were as flawless as promised, and the pressure of Christian's embrace tightened.

//I guess they understand

How lonely life has been

Life began again

The day you took my hand//

The rightness of the words struck a chord in Sean even deeper than he planned, and it seemed the singer was expressing out loud exactly how he felt about this evening, and about Christian's presence in his life.

//And yes, I know how lonely life can be

The shadows follow me

And the night won't set me free

But I don't let the evening get me down

Now that you're around me//

Sean hadn't really planned to bare the ultimate depths of his soul and personal anguish to a crowd of strangers, and he had to remind himself that no one but the musicians, and Christian, knew who had made the request. The dark bleakness of the last few months of his life had been nearly unbearable at times, and the first evening out he'd had with Christian had been like a flicker of light in oppressive blackness.

//And you love me, too

Your thoughts are just for me

You've set my spirit free

I'm happy that you do//

"Don't you ever forget it, either," Christian whispered against his ear.

Sean wasn't sure if he wanted to break the magic of their close embrace to look into Christian's eyes, but the pull was to powerful, and he did just that. Their eyes met and locked on one another. A moment later, the song still playing, Christian moved down a little, and Sean moved up, just letting his feelings guide him and kick all his rational thoughts to the side like so much excess baggage.

Their lips met, and true to his passionate nature, Christian didn't wait more than a heartbeat before his tongue slid out to test the waters, to see if Sean was as swept away by the moment as he was. Despite the butterflies in his stomach that felt more like a flock of wild seagulls, Sean threw himself into the kiss, giving it all he had. He opened his mouth for Christian and sent his own tongue on an expedition into uncharted waters. The kiss was long and sizzling, and better than anything Sean could remember. Of course, his capacity to remember his own name was shaky right then.

Just before the music ended, their lips separated from one another. As wonderful as the kiss had been, the look that followed it reached down into the pit of Sean's soul and found where he lived and breathed.

"Maybe we should take a little break, have a little wine," Sean suggested. Christian nodded.

"Good idea. Otherwise, they might get more of a floorshow than they bargained for."

********

THE END...until next time <eg>