New York City. A place of over twenty million people, so Kieran wasn’t ever surprised when he never ran into the same people, unless he was going to the same place multiple times. But this club had just opened up a few months back and finally it had stopped being such a craze that Kieran could actually get in and not be overwhelmed. He went in with a couple theater friends, excited to make a night of it, maybe hit on a hot stranger. After a drink or two, he was ready to start dancing, to start scoping out the club.
It was through this thorough search and eyefucking with a couple people that he stopped in his movements on the dance floor, frozen when he saw a couple moving through the dance floor to get to the bar. He slowly followed them to see if he had just been dreaming, but no, that face was unmistakable, even if his cheeks had more definition, there was more maturity in his body, even if it hadn’t been too long since he’d seen him. Well, a couple years, but what was that in the whole big picture?
Kieran felt like he couldn’t breathe, so he stayed away, simply spying on them from afar, picking up cues from what he knew about body language, about people. The older man was with him, and by the looks he gave people undressing Brett with their eyes, a possessive one as well. He’d grip his arm like he was afraid Brett would float away from him or be swept away by one of these younger men looking at him like… well, like the beautiful man he was.
He must have watched them for at least ten minutes before Brett broke off from the man and Kieran followed him with his eyes at first but then with his body, bumping into people blindly as he tried not to take his eyes off of him lest he lose contact and he melt away like he was never there in the first place, just a dream. Kieran almost lost track of him when he disappeared outside, so Kieran hurried up and stepped outside, looking around almost frenzied before he spotted him lighting up a cigarette a ways away from the entrance.
Swallowing, he slowly and quietly approached him, straightening out his snug button up with the sleeves rolled up as he pulled out one of his own cigarettes and stopped beside him. “You got a light?”
Brett’s life has never really made sense, from the moment he was born, through his emotional upheavals, right up to this very day. This very second. To the man he’s pressing against despite feeling empty. The place he goes to every night that should be a home, but feels more like a prison. In fact, one thing had only ever made him feel grounded, felt somewhat normal. One person, actually. That person had long since disappeared from his life, and it was entirely his fault.
After his relationship crashed and burned with Danny, there wasn’t much left for Brett, so he slipped back into some of his old ways. He lost his job, started using drugs heavily, and even got back into selling his body. It wasn’t something he was proud of, and it’s how he landed with an older man. One who was rich, powerful, and gave him things he never thought he could have. With that though came the abuse and possessiveness. He figures after all the shit he’s done, it’s what he deserves at this point.
Tonight they are this new club, one he’s not overly fond of, but if it’s what Jackson wants, he goes through with it. Not like he really has a choice anyway. His boyfriend isn’t in the mood for a whole lot of dancing it seems so they’re perched at the bar, waiting for their drinks as a hand grips him in a possessive and overbearing manner. It’s enough to make his skin crawl in an uneasy way, because he can tell tonight is going to end in a fight, and he’s going to be sporting new bruises come tomorrow.
He manages to get away for a moment though, telling him he needs a cigarette and badly. Jackson wrinkles his nose but lets him go anyway. He lets out a breath when he’s outside, his fingers shaky as he pulls a smoke from his pack and presses it between his lips. Head tipping back against the brick wall he takes his first drag and can feel himself relaxing a little bit, the cool air licking at his sweat slickened neck, dark wisps of hair clinging to his forehead. He’s not expecting anyone to approach him, so when he hears a voice his heart clenches inside of his chest.
His eyes slowly open and he turns his head, coming face to face with someone he thought was long gone from his life. Hell, he didn’t even think Kieran was still in New York, but there he was. Tall, lanky, and gorgeous as ever. “I--...” he starts, swallowing hard as tears instantly start to fill his eyes. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again...”
