The Dancer and his boy [Rufy]

[Alec Grant Hartley]

& DRUGS AND BARS AND BACK SEATS
OF CARS WHAT A SHITTY BORING LIFE
( that i've lead so far )

Alec was having second thoughts about this meeting, and was in two minds as to whether he should turn up or just 'pretend' he had forgotten. He had woken up with a splitting headache due to the amount of painkillers he had taken the night before, after making several new gashes to the top of his right thigh, one that was so deep that it was plastered in a massive band aid. However, it was still so painful that it had made Alec walk with a limp to prevent a lot of stretch and wear to it, and with a grimace, he had turned up to the diner twenty minutes or so after he got the text from Rufy: "I'm covered in finger paint and I'm hungry. Food. Now. Diner. I'm gonna wash up and I'll be there in half an hour. Meet ya there ". He'd also woken up in an even more grumpy mood than usual, so he could have pleaded that excuse, yet in the end his own morbid curiosity had gotten the better of him, as he found himself standing outside in the freezing cold with a cigarette in his hand and his shitty old Nokia phone in the other. His leg was still throbbing with pain, so he shifted his weight so he wasn't straining it too hard, yet it didn't make all that much difference.

Of course, he didn't want anybody to know who he was going to see, so he'd told his mother that he was going for a walk to try and focus on some new lyrics, and he'd slung his lyric notepad in the backpack that was now hanging dead over his shoulder before stalking out looking like a miserable piece of flesh. The diner itself brought back memories of his family before his parents divorce, as he stared at the patterned tiles on the floor outside of the building. He hadn't wanted to come back here, because the memories of his father were still fresh in his head and ran through his mind on a constant daily basis. Whatever. He didn't want to deal with that any way, so he forced the memories to the back of his brain in an attempt to be rid of them. Too many memories. Yet another thing to add to the problem list that was rapidly piling up. He'd been going pretty good for a year or so, but then relapsed back in to self harming to take out his frustration on himself. Yep. He'd been going pretty good, but had hit yet another fucking brick wall. However, this time, it wasn't even like he could blame his downhill descent on to anyone else. So, he sighed in disappointment and slumped back against the window of the diner, scowling down at a drain cover on the road in front.

The more pressing issue, however, was why this new guy; Rufus, had taken such an interest in him, the lonely weird kid that had no friends, only music and memories. Alec rubbed his forehead and sighed. He wasn't going to let Rufus, the genuinely wonderful handsome guy that he'd been meeting with, see him in his usually morose pathetic state. Cold. Distant. That was how he had to be; he wasn't prepared to let down his guard and put himself in a firing line yet again. Nobody had to know about his depression and self harm and other problems in his head. It was easier to be cold than kind; he'd built that wall around him strong, and he wasn't going to let Rufus, nor anyone, crack that again, after all the time he'd spent building it. He was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he never even realized Rufus heading over to him.

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TEMPLATE,, by PANIC! ITS LAUZ of CAUTION[/size]

[Rufus Lee Bailey]

MAYBE I'M A DIFFERENT BREED

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 355px;] He loved his brother... even when he his lips were painted blue from a vigorous session of finger painting, he loved his brother. Adam reached up - his brown eyes sparking with childlike amusement - and smeared more blue across Ruf's pale cheek. "Enjoying this?" The younger boy bounced up and down in delight nodded before continuing to dab paint on his brother's arms; more tattoos for Rufy. White paper, unused and clean, lay scattered across the kitchen counter. Everything else - whether it be skin, clothing, or hair - was spattered with color. The two mischievous brothers seemed to have long abandoned the hope to keep the kitchen spotless. Ah well, a little grounding at the hands of their military father would be worth all this fun. With a chuckle, Rufus bent down to plant a blue kiss on his brother's forehead. The two spent another hour or so playing in their own destruction before their mother came home - grocery bags in hand - and shooed them out of the kitchen with a shriek. Your father will hear about this, she screamed again and again. Rufus set to cleaning up the kitchen while Adam scampered playfully after his heels; he definitely believed her. But he loved her too, stress and all. Even when his father came home - boots clicking against the tile floor - Rufus knew he'd love him too. Fuck today was just an awesome day! He was going to get in trouble, but it was still great! As Ruf wiped up the last of the paint, he wondered why he was being greedy and only sharing this day with his family. He'd have to fix that! The teen washed the color off his hands and quickly sent a text to a friend of his: Alec. Shy, awkward... adorable Alec. I'm covered in finger paint and I'm hungry. Food. Now. Diner. I'm gonna wash up and I'll be there in half an hour. Meet ya there ;) The date was set! Rufus didn't even wait for a response before hitting the shower, as was in his egotistic nature to assume Alec would agree. Fifteen minutes later, the eighteen year old was ready to go out and no longer a finger painting catastrophe. A grin spread across his face as he climbed into his family's truck and drove down to the diner. Alec... damn was he a sweet kid! Rufus couldn't help but mentally praise the guy every time they hung out, even more so now that he had finally gotten over his break up with Collin. And as Alec came into view - warm breath puffing into the air - Rufus murmured to himself. "A sweet thing... he's really a sweet thing." The car door slammed and Rufus ran over to Alec, careful not to slip on any ice layering the sidewalk. "Hey," He spoke in an airy tone, as if out of breath. The teen proceeded to clear his throat and speak up. "Wanna get inside, or have a picnic and become Popsicles?" Rufus laughed loudly and wrapped an arm around the other's shoulders, ushering him inside.

| tagged. Alec | outfit: here | notes. none |

credit to cranberr23 of caution.

[Alec Grant Hartley]

& DRUGS AND BARS AND BACK SEATS
OF CARS WHAT A SHITTY BORING LIFE
( that i've lead so far )

Upon hearing Rufus' gentle excitable voice, Alec couldn't help but notice his heart skip a beat and a tingle pulse through his veins to his fingers and toes. The boy looked absolutely breathtaking. Alec stuttered, as if about to say something, yet couldn't form any words to come out of his mouth, and so just decided against it. That's it, Alec. Just stay quiet like fucking usual, he thought sourly. Reluctantly, he let Rufus lead him through in to the diner and the warmth, the boys arm draped over Alec's shoulders. Alec couldn't help but feel like this was where he belonged, wrapped underneath Rufus' arms, yet shook the thought out of his head as he reasoned with himself; You've only known him for a month or so. Plus, what is to say he's interested in you any ways? You're a no good piece of shit. His shoulders slumped at this thought, and the pain in his thigh was harshly brought back to him... the same pain that had disappeared altogether when Rufus had wrapped his arm around the boy. That feeling of closeness.. It half reminded him of what he missed from when he was a young boy, before everything happened, yet it half repulsed him, and he didn't like it.

Throwing his cigarette to the ground before going in, he entered and crossed his arms immediately as he waited for the waitress to assign them a table, his fingers digging deep enough in to his skin to hurt. He was, after all, just wearing a shirt and some jeans, totally impractical for how cold it was outside, yet that was just another way for him to punish himself. For being so broken. For being such a fuck up. When he felt a slight shift in Rufus' weight, he flinched slightly, as if Rufus was about to hit him. He was kind of glad that Rufus hadn't yet asked him why he was so nervous and... flinchey, all the time, because "my father used to hit me and throw me down the stairs and burn me with his cigarettes and break nearly all of my fingers by slamming them in the door" wasn't really that much of a great response. Back then, he'd thought it hadn't been as big of a deal, but now... the damage had been done. Irreversible damage. Or so he thought.

There was that oh so familiar lump in his throat and panic rising in his chest, and he shuffled out from under Rufus' arm, breathing deeply and focusing on some ugly modern art picture on the diner wall as if he was actually interested. He refused to have a panic attack here, and stepped backwards, almost tripping over a bit of furniture. That was when the waitress decided it would be a good time to come over; 'perfect fucking timing', Alec thought, as she asked how many people were in the group.

"Just the two of us" Alec said, almost through gritted teeth, as his heart pace began to calm down slightly. Reluctantly, he took Rufus' hand stiffly and made his way over to the table. He didn't want to touch Rufus; not because he wasn't wonderful and beautiful and handsome and lovely, but because he hated contact with other people. However, he had to start somewhere, right?

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TEMPLATE,, by PANIC! ITS LAUZ of CAUTION[/size]

[Rufus Lee Bailey]

MAYBE I'M A DIFFERENT BREED

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 355px;] There was very little Rufus found more attractive than coy smiles, nervous glances, and twitchy fingers. He had a lust for shyness. Perhaps that's why he fell for Collin - the awkward Converse jock - a few months ago. They'd had a brief relationship, and a pleasant one at that. Had Collin not moved away, Rufus may have considered staying with him for a long time... but he was gone. And Ruf didn't plan to stay stuck on something he couldn't change. Yet here he was with another shy guy, and why? Perhaps the boy's long term relationships were just another example of opposites attracting. He was, after all, a loud and fairly egotistical fellow. The town should very well have made a rule forbidding Rufus to date someone just as obnoxious as himself, though the boy was never one for following rules in the first place. But more than likely, Rufus sought out the broken ones because he was naturally a caregiver; he felt some sort of obligation to help them. He'd helped raise his brother when their father left for deployment, and he would damn well help someone else who caught his affections: Alec too. Rufus led Alec inside of the diner, exhaling softly as warm air brushed against his face. "Cozy..." He murmured absently before flashing a small grin in Alec's direction, allowing his eyes to drift over the other's face. Alec really was a sweet guy... a very handsome and sweet guy. His hair was a mess of dark brown locks, occasionally falling into the other's eyes; he loved the spontaneity of his look. It was natural. Wild. Rather ironic since the personality of Alec rarely showed anything animal or crazy. It made him somewhat... mysterious. It made Ruf wanting to no more. But he'd hold back. It was not in the teen's nature to pry and poke, rather, he was an observer. He'd make his notes, his assumptions, and when Alec was ready to tell him then he would listen. Rufus could tell a lot about Alec before they had even spoken. He was twitchy, nervous, and generally a very self conscious looking fellow. Collin too had exhibited these traits, but Alec had one in particular that set him far apart from the jock; he didn't like being touched. He was an entirely different breed of shy. Rufus, with his people skills, immediately assumed some trauma in the guy's past. He set out to soothe him very early on in the relationship. And now here he stood, waiting to be seated, and gently stroking the other's shoulder. His voice was kept a murmur - for once - as he made small talk. "I haven't been here for awhile. Been grounded so often lately... dad's on my case a lot. I'm sure he'll let up soon." He shrugged his shoulders and smiled again at Alec. Always the optimist. When Alec felt the urge to duck away from Ruf's arm, he let him. Did he feel a tad disappointed? Well, yeah. But knowing that there was something... off with Alec, he wouldn't feel good knowing he had made the other worse. So he waited patiently as Alec took some steps to calm down from whatever had him stressed. And then... the other grabbed his hand, albeit somewhat awkwardly. Rufus flashed a grin and brushed his thumb against the other's knuckles. He then proceeded to sit down in a booth, choosing to sit next to Alec rather than across from him. He liked being close, and if he could not touch the guy... well this was the next best thing. "You been up to much, Alec?"

| tagged. Alec | outfit: here | notes. none |

credit to cranberr23 of caution.

[Alec Grant Hartley]

& DRUGS AND BARS AND BACK SEATS
OF CARS WHAT A SHITTY BORING LIFE
( that i've lead so far )

Alec felt himself flush slightly when he felt Rufus' hand respond to his own, and couldn't help but smile ever so slightly. That feeling of being close-ish to someone else, who happened to actually be so wonderfully nice, and not feel like running for the hills was a new feeling for Alec. He could kinda get used to it, in fact! He took a seat and felt himself swell with happiness and joy when Rufus sat next to him, rather than across.

It was these little things that made Alec like Rufus so much. The way he still catered for Alec by not touching him too much nor forcefully, yet still managed to keep in close distance and was gently touching him constantly. He shuffled over so his own arm was resting against Rufus, and whilst he wasn't totally one hundred percent comfortable with it, he still did it. Besides, when he actually co-operated and did was Rufus secretly wanted, the boy would light up with a beaming smile that made Alec's heart pound. Putting himself through something uncomfortable was worth that smile.

He glanced over and locked eyes with Rufus for a moment before dropping them. 'Fuck', he thought to himself. Alec hadn't realized how down right beautiful Rufus' eyes actually were until he was so close up. He wanted to steal another glance, but fought with everything he had to not do it; he didn't want to embarrass himself. Instead, he just coughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head before answering Rufus' question.

"Nothing, really" he said, his gentle voice a contrast to the noisiness of the diner. The noise was making him skittish and even more nervous; not only did he dislike contact, but also loud voices and noises. The clanging of forks and the scrapes of knives on the plates were almost too much, but Rufus was like an anchor; the touch and feel and general presence of the guy helped put Alec a little bit more at ease. "Just been working on some new songs and stuff, that's all. How about you?"

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[Rufus Lee Bailey]

MAYBE I'M A DIFFERENT BREED

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 355px;] Alec's glance was a fleeting one; he focused on Ruf's face then looked away hardly a second later. But while the shy boy tossed his gaze around the room, Rufus focused on Alec the entire time. He saw deep brown eyes, dark hair, and a face perfect to frame it all. He saw shy twitchy fingers and nervous eyes. He saw beauty. Rufus couldn't help but to vocalize his discovery. "Beautiful..." His voice danced in the air - like he so often did with his body - and floated around the table like a lingering perfume. Many an awkward teenager would have hid under the table with that little admission. Even Rufus hadn't meant to say it, but he was in no way going to hide; he was smiling instead. Just smiling like a happy fool! A waiter saw fit to ruin Rufus' and Alec's sweet - albeit impulsive - moment. "Can I get you boys anything?" The eighteen year old sighed, pulling his eyes away from Alec. He wanted to stare at him longer. Not that he was undressing him with his eyes - he had done that before - but because he was just so... fucking cute. He made his order quick. "Just coffee." Rufus never was one to eat much... he'd tasted enough paint as is. The boy motioned to Alec so he could make his order; he was watching him again too. The very second the waiter left, Rufus lightly touched the Alec's leg before slipping his hand back to his own side. He wanted so badly to keep his hand there, but he wouldn't pressure the other. When Rufus liked someone... well, that's when he held back for the sake of their comfort. It was extremely hard to do, but he'd live. Ruf tried to focus on conversation instead. Maybe that would help ease his sexual desires... or make them worse; he'd find out soon. "Been dancing a lot recently... have a recital coming up." He chuckled. "In one routine, I have to play some bad guy character. Oooh fear me!" He wiggled his fingers, as if casting some terrifying spell. Oh if only it could be a love spell. Mere mortal, I command you to love my sexy strangeness!

| tagged. Alec | outfit: here | notes. none |

credit to cranberr23 of caution.

[Alec Grant Hartley]

& DRUGS AND BARS AND BACK SEATS
OF CARS WHAT A SHITTY BORING LIFE
( that i've lead so far )

Alec felt his heart skip a beat, or three, when he heard Rufus mutter the word 'beautiful'. Not only had it caught Alec off guard, but it had also got him thinking; had Rufus said it to him? or had he said it about how nice and warm the diner was, in comparison to outside? His mind was all over the place when he snapped out of his pondering due to the waiter asking what they wanted to order. He waited for Rufus to answer before he did, saying "Can I get a small latte, please", to which the waiter responded with some pointless answer and walked off, Alec not even registering what the man had said.

The news about Rufus' show made Alec return the eager grin that the other had painted across his handsome face; he was sure that Rufus was an amazing dancer, and wanted to see him in action, plus it gave him an excuse to see Rufus again. He looked up and nodded, and smirked at the boys apparent spell casting. "Can I... come and watch you?" He smiled, looking down again and blushing slightly. He hoped to God that the boy would say yes... any chance to see Rufus was sacred, and if the boy was in a tight outfit, then even better. But that was probably getting ahead of himself, and he mentally scolded himself for thinking that way. Regardless of what Rufus would be wearing, he would look amazing, as per usual.



It was when Rufus touched Alec's leg that he reacted without thinking; he had brushed over the exact spot that Alec had sliced last night, and he pulled back immediately, hissing in pain and flinching. "Fuck" he hissed under his breath, not exactly loud yet loud enough for the other to hear. He screwed his eyes shut for a second as the pain slowly ebbed away, leaving the dull thudding throb that was there before. It was only then that he realized that he'd acted weird, and he looked up again, slightly worried; Rufus was probably super confused by the whole thing, and Alec... didn't want to have to explain to him. He really didn't want him to think Alec was an absolute freak, so he thought up of the quickest excuse possible.

"Sorry" He said, his voice slightly frantic. It was clear to see that he was lying, as Alec certainly wasn't the best liar in the world, and he just hoped it was enough for Rufus to believe him. "I hurt myself yesterday" Wait, that totally wouldn't throw Rufus off of his case. "Like, an injury. I... fell over" Not that convincing, but it was as good as it was going to get. He attempted a smile, yet it came off more as a grimace. He sighed, feeling as if slamming his head on to the table was perhaps the best option for right now. He just wanted the ground to swallow him up, as he went bright red in embarrassment.

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TEMPLATE,, by PANIC! ITS LAUZ of CAUTION[/size]

[Rufus Lee Bailey]

MAYBE I'M A DIFFERENT BREED

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 355px;] He had meant it for him. Whether Alec knew it or not, Rufus thought he was beautiful... and he had for a long time. He usually wasn't one for first impressions; Ruf could hardly imagine what people said about him without getting to know him. Rufus would never endorse such stereotyping if he could help it. But if there was one thing Ruf could recognize at a brief glance, it was a pretty face. Specifically, Alec's pretty face. It was a face - even when flinching and twitching with nerves, or perhaps fear - that would always remain beautiful. And he became more beautiful every time he saw him, because now he was recognizing what lay inside of Alec: a kind soul. There was still so much more to find out about the dark eyed boy... but Rufus knew that whatever he found, it would only add to his beauty. No secret could subtract from the benevolence which Ruf had already encountered. So when Alec asked if he could see Rufus dance, the boy's smile shown just a little brighter. "Of course!" His voice rang out loud and clear... ecstatic even! Their neighboring consumers - loving mother and child - even looked up, shocked with the young male's sudden outburst. Well... least he hadn't cursed this time. Anyone who knew Rufus for more than twenty minutes knew that he was bound so say something outlandish at least once a day. Something was terribly wrong if he didn't. But today everything was just peachy! No sarcasm intended. "Hey, they give the dancers extra tickets for their friends and families. I'll snag you one!" Ruf nodded his head so vigorously that a lock of hair flew into his face. It wasn't every day that someone wanted to see him dance... especially someone he liked. But that exact someone's pain drove the smile off his face faster than a bullet could fly from a gun. Rufus jerked his hand back from Alec's pant leg, only to lightly touch the other's shoulder. "Are you okay?" Worry reflected across his eyes and pulled down on his lips. It was this sense of worry that urged Rufus to further impose on Alec's boundaries. He petted the other's shoulder, trying his best to look reassured when he could already detect Alec's lie. Rufus refused to press him for details. Alec would tell him when he was ready... but damn did Ruf hope Alec would enlighten him eventually. "Well... if you need some ice. I can call the waitress to bring some over." He smiled softly and moved to take a sip from his coffee, which had clanked against the table hardly a minute ago.

| tagged. Alec | outfit: here | notes. none |

credit to cranberr23 of caution.

[Alec Grant Hartley]

& DRUGS AND BARS AND BACK SEATS
OF CARS WHAT A SHITTY BORING LIFE
( that i've lead so far )

Alec flinched again when Rufus pulled his hand away, because, in all honesty, he liked it when the boy touched him, more than anything he'd ever liked before. Even when Rufus just looked at him, something in Alec just felt... complete. He didn't feel broken, for once. However, harsh reality was slammed in to Alec's face like a freight train when he glanced up and saw the solid worry that was etched across Rufus' beautiful face. Alec sighed. He didn't want to see Rufus pull that face at him, ever, and the fact that he'd actually seen it made his stomach drop. However, the hand on his shoulder was some form of comfort, and the boy shook his head, smiling at Rufus.

"No no, i'm fine" He brought his hand up to clasp around Rufus'. "Honestly, I am. Trust me" He let his hand linger for an extended moment before letting go, reaching over for his latte; he winced when the fabric of his jeans brushed against his wound, but gritted his teeth and dealt with it. He took a sip of his drink, the liquid burning his lips, and he placed it back down to cool off.

"So, tell me about your dancing" Alec asked eagerly. He really wanted to hear more about the beautiful boy sitting there in front of him. The appearance of Rufus simply took Alec's breath away, and his breath fell short for a second. Rufus' eyes sparkled with a type of happiness that Alec had long forgotten and lost, and his lips were just... unf, Alec wanted to kiss them over and over and over and over. And his hair... it was just perfect. Wild and untamed, much like Alec's, yet it just seemed so beautiful to Alec. Even down to the clothes that Rufus wore, all Alec could see was pure beauty. He sighed happily and grinned. The fact that he had actually considered dropping out of meeting with Rufus earlier on made him want to punch himself.

He sat back gently, crossing his legs over on the chair. He felt the lyric notebook in his jean pocket press tightly against another old wound, but it didn't hurt so much, so he just looked down after stealing another glance at Rufus.

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[Rufus Lee Bailey]

MAYBE I'M A DIFFERENT BREED

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 355px;] Rufus didn't believe Alec; he saw a very brief flicker of pain in Alec's expression from that mere touch... it wasn't a sort of nervous pain either. Alec never looked like that because he was feeling shy or awkward; Rufus figured if that was the case, the boy would have a permanent look of pain tensing his expression. Right now, Alec wasn't fine. He wasn't exactly all peaches before, but now he looked... hurt. Seriously hurt. But Rufus wouldn't pry; he figured that if Alec wanted him to know about whatever pain he was feeling, then he would tell him. Eventually... but damn, Ruf hoped the other would tell him soon. "Well, if you say you're fine then I guess you're fine." It sort of tugged at his heart - in a bad way - to think that Alec was going through any pain. Oh if only he knew the truth... But without any intent on pressuring the handsome lad, Rufus slipped to the next topic with a sigh. "Dancing... right." He rubbed at the back of his head, trying to figure out what was the best way to word this; how does one talk about dancing after all? How does one describe the movements and do it justice? Well, perhaps he'd just talk about the basics; how he got started and what not. "Well, I've been dancing since I was.. eh, twelve I think. Course I wasn't in Converse back then. Didn't come here until I was.. oh jeez, fourteen or sixteen. I have such a bad memory, I admit it." He chuckled and shook his head before continuing. "I enrolled in a few classes; hip hop first, then moved to contemporary and jazz because the teacher said I had the flexibility for it. Then I just started working on it." He nodded and took another sip of his coffee, moving to lean against Alec as he talked. "Got an internship at the dance studio recently, it's for this beginner's hip hop class. I get to help the teacher and stuff." Rufus sighed, absently stroking Alec's knee. Even if he was a jumpy and nervous fellow, it was difficult for Rufus to keep his hands off him. Finally, he stopped talking about dancing and looks into the other's eyes; he smiled. "Tell me about your music."

| tagged. Alec | outfit: here | notes. none |

credit to cranberr23 of caution.