Allright people, this is chapter 3 of what price, beauty? I think this is one of the more interesting sequences in the plot, but you decide, and then email me at tzimvamp@hotmail.com all pages of this story are of course copyrighted by me, ALex Moore, Anne Rice, and anything else that is borrowed is borrowed. Feel free to redistribute this story as you choose, but please, give me credit and an email link. Notification that you're doing so would be nice, too...but, on witht he show *bows and makes the way for Lance and Adrian
*Chapter 3: Beginnings
Lance shook his head slowly, from left to right, and then back again. He ran a shaking hand through his spiked hair and sighed quietly. Then, a bright smile lit his features, and he spoke, haltingly at first, then more fluidly. "W-wait, you know who I am, right?"
The man before him, with his thick chestnut hair and crystalline blue eyes shook his head, smiling softly. It was a quiet, beautiful smile, filled with love and light that any man or woman would beg to get closer to. And, past the body was the heart and soul, so blunt and honest. Even though he had only said one sentence, somehow he knew that he'd never lie to him. "you sure? I mean, I'm a pretty famous guy"
"Sorry, can't place you."
"well, I guess it doesn't matter. But you really have no idea who I am?"
The boy in front of him grinned slightly, slyly, his fingertips trailing further across Lance's leg. He shivered from the touch. It was as if fire and ice were pushed together and formed into this boy's hands, and into his warm brown hair. "Well, from the sound of you, I can tell that you have an excellent singing voice. And you dance for a living"
Lance grinned, a little incredulously."Oh? how could you tell that?"
"Your have a beutiful voice, and as for the dancing, it's the way you move. Only dancers like us can move that gracefully"
"wait, you dance?"
The dark haired man nodded,." I was a dancer at the Violet Rose"
"what?!"Lance almost bit his tongue as he spoke. This beautiful boy was....a stripper? He had rescued an exotic dancer? Damn, this was getting more complicated by the minute.
The other boy grinned spectacularly, whispering through chuckles."Someting wrong?"
"uhh.....sort of. I mean, I just, you know, couldn't picture you as, well, a, y'know...." The words stammered out of lance's mouth as he looked down into his lap, and the hand on his leg.
His young friend raised an eyebrow, seeming quite amused by the whole thing."a go-go boy?"
"uhm, yeah" The blond boy sighed, blushing furiously. His eyes trailed down to his lap.
"sorry, not this boy. I was one of the clothed dancers on stage, and besides, it was a way to make money. Better than sleeping on the street" A cold smirk darkened his features, and Lance thought that he might have offended this perfect man in his bed.
"Look, I didn't mean to, I mean I....ohhhh, that feels good" His eyelids fluttered, as he chestnut haired boy carefully massaged all the knots and cramps out of his legs with careful, practiced fingers.
He smiled, looking up at lance with calm dark blue eyes. "Think nothing of it....I'm Adrian, by the way."
All Lance dared to say, could ever hope to say was his name, his real name...."James...err, Lance Bass"
Adrian shook his head, a smile lighting his features. "I think I prefer James." moving his hand away from Lance's leg, he tilted his eyes up to meet those of his friend's.
Lance, or James as he was called, looked into Adrian's cornflower blue eyes, a nervous smile on his lips. His voice was quavering, his body trembled furiously. "Are you, I mean...well...."
"making a pass at you?"
"yes"
"not really"
"but, then what's all this? I mean, you're hot, red hot"
"thanks for the compliment"
"you know what I meant"
"yes, I do"
"so what's with the teasing?"
"Just an old habit of mine. Besides, I barely know you"
"You could get to know me."
"yes, I could." Adrian raised a brow, a little smirk on his face. "you really have a burning desire to get into my pants, don't you?"
James shook his head violently, eyes wide. "No! I mean....well, um, it's like this......" sighing, he gave in, eyes cast down, mumbling his next words softly. "I've loved you since the moment I saw you, broken and bleeding in that alley. You looked so hurt and alone; I just wanted to be there for you"
Adrian's eyes widened, as big as saucers. "what do you mean?"
" I mean, I think I'm in love with you, that's what I mean!"
"No, no....what did you mean about an alleyway?" as an afterthought, he sighed, taking James' hand in his, smiling softly. "Thank ou for the compliment, though"
"I, uh, you're welcome, I guess"
"It's not everyday I get told that a man's in love with me, and he means it"
"But I was telling you about how I found you in the alley" A crimson flush lit Lance's features. His words were quick and rushed, and his eyes darted from left to right.
"yes...." Adrian chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling like stars. "and I'll forgive your changing the subject just for that"
James smiled wryly, looking up into those twinkling eyes, his brow furrowed and confused. Then, breaking out into a grin, he shook his head, trying to keep the giggles down, but they shot out anyway. After regaining his self control, he smirked. "Pretty lame, huh?"
"you could....say that" Adrian, however, hand not regained his self-control. He was laughing now, quietly, but quite uncontrollably.
James raised an eyebrow "Umm, somethng wrong?"
Adrian slowly recovered himself, and shook his head "no..nothing at all. But if we want to get to know each other, shouldn't we be going? I mean, walking around in malls, talking? As in, not being in bed?"
"Uhmm....well, that's the thing. The hotel's kind of the only safe place for me"
Adrian looked at him, his eyes curious again. "pardon me?"
James sighed slowly, looking adrian in the eyes "Well, that's the thing. You see,, I'm kinda famous"
Adrian chuckled slowly, his wry smile sliding effortlessly into place. "Well, just how famous are you?"
"well, I'd rather not say...you understand?"
"of course I do. That's fine, though"
"But were do we go if we can't stray from the hotel? I mean, it's kinda limited"
The dark haired boy before him gave him a rather strange expression, his eyes glittering in the early morning light. "you do know what city you're in, right?"
"yeah, so?"
"well, anything can be gotten for a price, especially secrecy."
"excuse me?!"
"oh, nothing like what you're thinking....just that this is New Orleans, and people know how to keep quiet here, about some things. Besides, I'm sure you want to see the city."
"yeah.....there isn't much at two in the morning, except maybe a gorgeous boy in a dark alley"
Shaking his head slowly, adrian reached up, ruffling the trademark spikes in James' hair "You're gonna hold that against me until the day I die, I imagine"
"That's my major plan, yes" A sly grin lit lance's features as he stroked Adrian's chest lovingly. "But you are gorgeous"
"Hmph. cold shower for you, hot bath for me, then. And don't even think about sharing"
"but can't I just have a little fun"
"no. absolutely no fun while I'm on bored I won't-" suddenly, Ade broke put in uncontrollable giggling as James started ticking the soles of his feet with a fingernail. "Hey! not fair!"
"oh, whyzat?"
Ade continued giggling, unable to formulate a response, as James led up the more ticklish spots, grinning teasingly down at him. "Had enough, Adrian?"
Ade grinned slowly and nodded a little, standing up and out of bed, and making his way to the bathroom, shutting the dorr behind him, leaving James with a funny little grin on his face.
A few moments later, a new Adrian walked out of the bathroom, wearing some of James' clothes, but fit to his own style, and what a style it was. He wore dark blue Jeans, and a black undershirt, with a blood red sweater vest over it. The undershirt was silk, and ribbed, which only helped to show off a lean and tightly muscled torso, tht only blended down into powerful thighs and muscular calves.
Tying his hair off with a length of black satin, Adrian flashed James a winning smile, doing a model's turn. The clothes fit perfectly, as if their sizes were identical, right down to the black Doc Martens.
But it wasn't the clothes or the shoes James was looking down at. It was Adrian's perfectly muscled backside. Two layers of clothing did nothing to hide it, and all James could think about was sliding himself into that tight crevice, feeling it mold around him until that tight ass fit him and only him.....but he shook his head slear of those desires, before Ade could take notice of them.
Ade raised a brow and slipped a sly grin at James. "Problems?" "you know damn well what dressing like that does to a man..." "yes.." His tongue darted out, licking across the ridge of his teeth, wrtting his lips, and causing james to go into even more convulsions of desire. "Yes, I suppose I do. By the way, a cold shower should take care of that" He nodded, indicating the raging erection James was sporting. "See you in a few minutes"
Grumbling, James headed off into the shower, coming out a few minutes later in a simple undershirt, jeans, and a plaid overshirt, unbuttoned. He put on his watch, checked the time, smiled to Adrian, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder as ade put a pair of oakleys on to hide his eyes from the glare,a s well as other people. He was already wearing a kind of neutral nail polish to dull the sheen and opalescent colors, and his hair was no different than that of any other person's.. Ade turned to his new friend, and let him lead him out of the hotel room and into the elevator as they fled into the city like theives in the night, even though it was daytime.
In the darkness, a young man smiled tenderly, emerging from the shadows to nod once toward the elevator before heading down the hallway again, his white-blonde mop of curls gleaming in the dim sunlight.