Glass -- New York, Friday Night

[killingsoftly]

They'd given them a park facing room, which was more than Devin had hoped for. He brushed his fingers over the cool glass of the doors, then stepped outside on the balcony, letting the sounds of the city wash over him. He took a sip of whiskey, smiling to himself as he watched the warm early evening light warm the buildings and the tops of the trees. It was warm and the air conditioner in the room kicked on in protest of the open door, but he just let it run, listening to the sounds of Warren in the room behind him.

Even now, the heat from their little game still lingered, flushing his cheeks. The whiskey in the glass was cool, but not cool enough. He was cursing himself that they only had one bed, but when he'd booked the gig, and the room, he hadn't expected Warren to be coming. He figured he'd be pursuing his other gig while here, but then the invitation spilled out and here they were. He wasn't coming down off a high. He'd slept a lot the last few days. He'd been eating. He wasn't fragile and out of it, and sharing that bed was likely to test his resolve to the limit, especially after the teasing.

He wasn't likely to sleep much.

But he didn't want to push Warren. The flirtation was delightful. The game moreso, but he was the one who wanted it to be more than just a game, not Warren. He had to remember that part and not push, no matter if that "later" teased at his memory. He slid fingers over glass and imagined briefly it was skin, then pushed those thoughts away. He could behave.

"Our reservation's at six." He called back over his shoulder, straightening even as he kept his gaze fixed on the people scurrying below, drinking in the life of the City. "We should probably leave by 530. It's just around the corner, less than half a mile. Walk or cab?"

Comments

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

"LA?" Warren tried not to look too excited.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

"Well, sure. Viper Room. The Whiskey. The Gig. The Mint. Gotta play them all..."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

"Oh. Right." As though Warren knew what he was talking about.

"I should just give up trying to look dignified and cool, shouldn't I?"

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

"You'll learn," Devin said, squeezing his hand. "Johnny Depp owns the Viper Room. River Phoenix died there. And the rock and roll scene started at the Whisky in '67. The Doors were the House Band for a long time."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren nodded, listening, taking mental notes. "The Doors." He smiled a little. "Jim Morrison." Byron, that is.

That still floored him.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin's smile was just a touch sad. "Yeah, Jim."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren squeezed his hand gently.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

"I miss him sometimes."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

"I can imagine," Warren said, softly. "You want to tell me about him?"

Leaving it open for Devin to tell him, or not.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

"He was...brilliant. The world has never known a better lyrcist. His poetry, and then his music..." Devin smiled. "And he had such passion." The smile faltered. "And then he...didn't. He kept trying to find it again, but he just lost the will. Lost the passion. He had the music, but nothing else."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren freed his hand from Devin's enough to slide his hand along his arm a little, lightly. His eyes were shaded with worry.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

He smiled a little, eyes faraway. "He was always....it was laudanum in the beginning. Opium by the time I met him. Pot. Cocaine. Anything he could to make the emtiness ease. To forget everything."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

Warren bit back the comment that that sounded familiar, although there was a flicker of irritated concern. So that was where he'd gotten it from.

"Oh." It was a fairly non-committal syllable, as far as that went.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

He shrugged, shooting him a rueful glance. "I know...it was. In the end he was always high, not just occasionally. He might have been all along. I kept thinking someone could pull him back. Someone could save him from himself."

He glanced away again. "Instead someone killed him."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

"Someone killed..."

The expression on Devin's face, Warren suddenly thought, was a lot like one he'd seen in a mirror more than once.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin nodded a little, accepting. "It was...what he was. The world he lived in. Others like him. But still...who, with a soul, kills Byron?" He sounded geuinely baffled.

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

"I've no idea," Warren shook his head, finding the whole thing pretty odd, himself. "Especially not.. that's a little extreme, isn't it?"

Also more than a little unfair.

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

"I thought so." Devin frowned. "I mean...he had a club foot. It couldn't have been a fair fight."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

"If he ..." If he was drugged out of his mind it wouldn't have been a fair fight anyway. Warren didn't say that. "Why would anyone ... he needed help. Not that kind of help."

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

"Because his kind are bastards to each other. They..." He shook his head. "Maybe someone thought they could get his power, his creativity, by taking his head."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

"Taking his..." Warren blinked. "What?"

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

Devin blinked a bit, looking at him. Had he not covered that part?

"Oh. He was...they call themselves Immortals. They die violently once, and they wake up and then they run about and try and cut off each other's head to take their power or some such nonsense. It's all rather barbaric."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

"Well, I guess that explains why he could be Byron and Jim Morrison." He smiled a little. "No, you never told me. I just figured he was... I guess I didn't think about it much. I throw fire and you're..."

He shrugged.

"... Why the hell would they do that? I mean, apart from taking power. Aren't there people who just figure they have enough power and leave everyone else alone?"

[killingsoftly.livejournal.com]

"Something about a Game?" He was rather fuzzy on the details. "Like, one wins in the end and gets everybody's power and then possibly tries to rule the world, or retire to Tibet or something."

[firebugwarren.livejournal.com]

".. that's so stupid."