“Dude, so do you remember that one time we almost got arrested back in Manhattan?” Dustin had offered to pick Alex up for the evening to take him out and play the role of wingman that he was so very proud of since reconnecting. Truth be told, Dustin might be the most terrible wingman ever, despite being a charmer. Whatever the case, he was more than determined to make the effort and get his friend back in the game after the great and terrible breakup back in the Big Apple. Dustin had, of course, always made the effort to be there for his friends when they needed it most-- how hypocritical that might seem, when he struggled to even reach out when he needed it himself. The darkest parts of his past were hidden in an airlock seal that could not be broken because he could never get himself to spit it out, it seemed. Walking alongside him as they headed for the club, fixing his jacket for the unusually cool evening they were facing in the midst of the summer heat and then the hat on his head, he looked over at him and grinned. “Listen, I swear the other day, I was so reminded of it because I was running late back to my apartment, it was like three in the morning, and I had to climb the fire escape to get there. I remembered trying to jump that fence when we bolted and how I ripped the thigh of my favorite skinny jeans on it and fell off and dive-rolled like they tell you to do when you’re on fire back in high school. Speaking of, I still have those jeans, and the rip actually turned out to look rather fashionable after I fixed it up a little.” Giving the smuggest of grins in just a way that made him, momentarily, look like the most innocent man in the world, he laughed and scuffed his Converse on the sidewalk. Whenever he was going out for the night, he made sure not to wear his Heelies to avoid slipping and falling on anything that might have been spilled on the floor. Letting out a sigh, he removed his hands in his pockets and spread his arms, saying happily, “It feels good to be out and about and not worrying about schoolwork for a little bit. And hey, I missed having- you know- guy friends around. Besides, I spent two years not being able to complain to anyone at four in the morning that I was out of cereal and ask if I could borrow some. You’re a life-saver, by the way, because I was really craving Fruit Loops that night. I got too much of a kick out of keeping you on your toes.” Gesturing with his hands vaguely as he spoke, he clasped his hands together and held the door to the club open for him. “By the way, you should probably make sure I don’t get too hammered so I can actually help find you someone interesting. Otherwise, I’ll just be useless- a ton of fun, but useless.”
