Free Story: Facade

Originally written for the Torquere Social Happy Hour, "Facade" is a short >1K m/m story written to the prompts supplied by various members.

***

The club was a mind fuck, Dylan decided. Xavier was right; the club did look like a castle, and moreover, the grounds like a church yard. There were bone-fide gargoyles perched on the façade. With the only light coming from the cathedral-style windows, it didn't seem impossible that the gargoyles might move. Dylan cupped his hands around his cigarette as he lit it, an attempt to protect it from the brisk wind.

"You shouldn't be out in the rain," Xavier said as he came to a stop next to him; Dylan startled a little; Xavier could be cat like, and it was all unconscious. "There's a smoking room inside."

"I just needed some fresh air," Dylan said.

Xavier said nothing; he didn't need to say anything - the flick of his gaze from Dylan's eyes to fingers and back said it all. "Did you want to be alone?" Xavier asked after a moment.

"No," Dylan shook his head. "Not apart from you, anyway." He sat on the steps, and Xavier joined him. "You were right. This place is kind of eerie." He hadn't noticed it much when they'd been there for the New Year's Eve masquerade - where it had previously glittered, now it seemed to loom. Maybe it was the lack of decoration, or the smaller group, or something else entirely - but there was something a little lonely, and a little forbidding about the place. What had previously struck Dylan as romantic now just seemed isolated, and perhaps, not very wise, or very safe. "Do you wish we hadn't come?" He asked Xavier aloud, in lieu of asking himself, quietly.

He wasn't entirely certain how to interpret the look Xavier gave him. Dubious? Thoughtful? Something else again? He knew Xavier had enjoyed himself at the masquerade, wasn't entirely sure Xavier hadn't agreed to come to the club a second time, except to please him. But all Xavier said was, "No."

"We could leave," Dylan offered. It was probably true, after all - though it would be a pain in the ass to organize, he knew, and it would be very unlikely they'd ever get another invitation.

"What's brought this on?" Xavier asked quietly.

And honestly, Dylan couldn't say. There was just something odd about the place, now that he really looked at it. A little morbid, almost, standing in this graveyard-like place. He shrugged. "They probably do an awesome Halloween party," he said instead.

But Xavier surprised him; Xavier, who usually followed his lead, didn't let it drop. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Dylan tried to sound assuring. "Just having an oddly thoughtful moment."

"This place is an inspiration for 'oddly thoughtful moments'," Xavier agreed, looking around. "But we should probably go back inside. It's cold out here, and it's not really fair to Matt and Josh."

Dylan looked at the cigarette in his hand, and crushed it out. "Yeah," he agreed, and immediately felt a pang of remorse - both because he was a being a bad guest, and because he was being a bad example to his younger, much less worldly lover.

There was no place to get rid of the cigarette outside, but the doorman whisked it from him almost before Dylan had noticed his offer. Bizarre. He murmured his thanks as he passed.

Justin, looking debonair as always, dashed down the staircase. "Ah, good. I was just coming to find you," he said. "We're about to start seating for dinner." He looked at his watch. "Well - very soon now." And then he dashed off, a whirlwind of activity.

"Does Justin have a stake in this place?" Xavier asked, very quietly.

Dylan shrugged. "I believe he's friends with the owner." But that could mean anything, with Justin. It had been Justin who'd gotten him their invitations to the masquerade, without which he was uncertain they'd have gotten invitations to Matt's collaring tonight.

"Who's the blonde by herself?" Xavier asked after a moment. "I meant to ask you earlier - I over heard someone asking Justin about her, and he seemed surprised to see her here."

Dylan followed the line of Xavier's eyes to a blonde woman in dress more severe then sexy - black with embroidery in shades of gray. "Matt's sister. He was probably surprised because she hasn't been involved in the scene in a couple of years."

"Not surprised because it's Matt's sister? At his collaring?" Xavier's voice was low, though incredulous, but Dylan still cringed.

Yes, it was strange - surpassing strange, really. The things you do when you're desperate, and destitute, and scared you're disposable. Matt had told him one night, intoxicated and sad in that way that can suddenly come upon the most cheerful drunk. But it wasn't a story he could repeat, here and now. Or even one he was sure he should repeat, at all. "I'll explain when we get home."