11 PM
“I know a place.” he said.
Why did I think that going to a place Daken knew about was a good idea??
“Hey Torchie.” A woman who I would normally very much like to look at coos as she slides past me into the bathrooms.
The bathrooms are pushed to the wall by the bar.
The bar that Daken and drunk company are all STANDING on.
Dancing. Standing. Taking liquor bottles from behind … shenanigans.
“Daken,” I try again. “It’s time to go.”
They haven’t even said anything about him being barefoot.
The man he’s grinding makes an annoyed noise.
Daken himself takes no notice that I’ve spoken at all.
“Daken!” I snap.
“Make me!” he calls back happily.
I wedge my way through the people in the bar- a loud, crowded, techno blaring, not somewhere Daken would go bar- and grab his foot, the only thing I can reach.
A shudder runs through him.
“Don’t touch my feet!” he calls over the music.
“It’s time to go!” I repeat.
“Let him stay!” The man in front calls.
“You should put your shirt back on!” I call to him instead.
He runs his right hand up his chest. Stopping to play with a nipple.
“Daken- it’s time to go!” I watch the man curiously wondering if he’s been given any of Daken’s twelve hidden pills or if Daken is messing with him.
The woman who’s behind Daken kisses his neck. Daken leans back into her, causing the man in front to groan in displeasure.
“Daken- I’ll buy you food!” I offer.
He actually stops moving.
I think….
“I’ll buy you greasy food?” I offer.
He turns all of his attention to me.
“All you have to do is come down off the bar.”
Daken breaks away from his new friends and walks to the edge of the bar nearest me. He extends a hand.
“You need help down?” I smile in relief and take his hand.
Daken smirks for a second before pulling as hard as he can on my arm. I have two choices, join him on the bar or wrench my arm out of socket.
I choose the first.
“Daken!” I snap. “OW!”
“It’s Johnny!” he calls to his friends at the end of the bar.
“Johnny!” they cry in unison. As if I was their old buddy who they hadn’t seen in a while.
The woman is in stilettos and a little black dress. Her brown hair is looking more and more like bedroom hair the more she whips it around up here.
The man is a Hispanic muscle bound guy with blonde tips that… well I mean... Yea. he looks good. I have to admit. He looks good. Looks like he works out...
I bet I could fuck him for a while.
I mean... he does look good.
I wonder if he-
Daken is grinning at me.
“Stop it.” I hiss.
Pheromones.
“I’m helping!” he insists with a slur.
“Tell your friends that you have to go.”
“Johnny Storm.” The bartender says below me. “God this is an honor. What are you drinking? It’s on the house.”
I smile at him- trying to paly the role of public role model while standing atop his bar. “I’m good. I’m just trying to get my friend here off of your bar.”
“He’s drinking whiskey.” Daken slurs. “The good kind.”
“No- no.” The bartender is already pouring it. “Daken, I don’t drink whiskey.” I hiss at him.
The music is loud, but with his ears- I know he heard me.
The bartender passes me a shot and then walks to the other side of the bar to take care of actual customers.
“I’ll take that.” Daken takes the shot from my hand and gives it to the man he was grinding on. “He likes whiskey.” he explains.
The man raises the shot to me before pouring it down his throat.
People start to crowd around the bar.
“Johnny!” Daken cries happily. “It’s your fans!”
Fans.
NO.
This is going to end up in a tabloid.
And Sue specifically told me not to do anything stupid tonight.
“Daken-” I hiss. “I can’t end up in a magazine. We need to go!”
Daken walks the short distance to me until we’re chest to chest and looks at the crowd of people.
He wraps his arm around my neck and presses an open mouthed kiss to my lips.
The crowd- which I’m realizing is mostly women- starts to cheer.
Daken’s kisses move from my lips to my jaw. From there he moves to my neck.
“That’s nice Daken.” I roll my eyes. “That’s very nice. That’s exactly what I wanted to happen.”
“Is it?” He drops to his knees in front of me, eyes locked on mine.
The crowd is cheering even more.
He wouldn’t.
“No.” I say sternly.
I can’t help but get a little hard at the idea, though.
He reaches a hand out towards my dick.
“No.” I repeat.
He smiles. “You want me to.” He’s full on grinning now. “I can smell it.”
“That is inappropriate, uncalled for, and illegal in this bar.” I say sternly.
He traces the outline of my hardening dick in my jeans.
“Daken-” I warn.
The crowd is cheering.
Daken stands up suddenly and walks a few steps away.
Before I can register what he’s doing, he starts to take his shirt off.
Take his shirt off very much in time with the mus-
OH my god. He’s stripping.
He takes his shirt off and throws it behind the bar.
The bartender looks amused.
“I’m so sorry.” I call to him. “I’ll have him pick that up!”
“Johnny Storm.” The bartender says lowly. “This is awesome.”
Daken stalks towards me.
He’s got to keep those pants on.
I know for a fact he’s not wearing anything underneath them.
Daken starts to grind on me in time with the music.
It’s… very enticing.
“You like this.” he coos in my ear.
“I want you to put your shirt back on.” I say to him in what I hope is a serious tone.
He pouts. “You don’t like my dancing?”
I love his dancing.
“I do.” I say honestly. “But now is not the time for it.”
He puts his back to my chest and his arm reaches back around my head.
“I won’t stop you if you want to play with me.” I think he meant to whisper.
The women in the crowd that heard that line cheer enthusiastically.
He meant to whisper, but he failed.
“I don’t want to play with you.” I keep my hands off of him, letting them dangle by my side.
“Then you want me to play with you.” he says very happily. “You were such a slut for –“
“Enough!” I yelp. “Ah ha.” I smile at the women who have leaned very close to us. “I don’t want to talk about that anymore.”
He presses back against me, grinding his ass into my groin.
“I could dance all night.”
“You’re not dancing.” I say pointedly. “You’re trying to get me to dry hump you in public.”
“Dance with me!” he coos.
“I’ll do it.” His male friend has joined us. “You want me in front or behind?”
“Get behind him!” Daken giggles. “He really likes ass play.”
“I don’t.” I say to the ladies, trying to smile. “He’s obviously very-“
“Yes you do.” Daken interrupts.
“He’s drunk.” I try to laugh.
“You’re lying.” Now he’s getting angry.
“I’m-“
“You’re lying.” Daken stops dancing. “You’re so afraid of what they think that you’ll lie.”
“Daken-“
“And I have commitment issues.” He narrows his eyes at me. “Go home, Johnny.”
“Wha-“
“You’re a liar.”
What??? “That’s a bit of the pot calling the kettle black- don’t you think?”
Daken stops suddenly- his whole body going rigid.
“Daken?”
“I gotta puke.” He sounds so fragile so suddenly.
“Let me help you.” I get off the bar, which the crowd boos, and take him by the elbows. He slides onto the floor and stands there in my arms for a second.
“This feels nice.” he comments. “No. I don’t want your help.”
“Go to the bathroom.” I groan. “We’ll talk about it when you feel better.”
He nods.
We push our way to the men’s room.
We’re close enough that I can feel him going stiffer by the second.
He’s going to puke. Violently.
“Hold it.” I try to sound soothing but in control at the same time. “Hold it Daken.”
We push through the doors. I guide him into one of the stalls and he collapses to his knees by the toilet.
He places his head over the bowl for about one second before all hell breaks loose and he’s vomiting. It’s more like a volcanic eruption.
“Now we’re done right?” I question while he pukes. “You had fun. We went to your bar. You danced on the bar…. You made some new friends- and now you’re done.”
“You wouldn’t tell the ladies that you like ass play.”
“That’s not their business.” I laugh nervously, looking around the bathroom.
“You lied” He pukes again.
“Daken-” I push some of the hair off his forehead. “Daken… I’m sorry if I upset you.”
“No you’re not.” he groans. “You’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“Daken-“
He suddenly turns to me. “Why didn’t you tell Sue we were dating??”
Oh.
OH.
Ah…
“You’re a little too out of it for this conversation- aren’t you?” I try to brush it off.
“You got mad when I told you I was on a date.” he says pointedly. “I’d rather be with that asshole who didn’t mind people knowing he was gay than with your in the closet, self-conscious, lying, pathetic-“
“Daken!” I snap. “Daken- I’m sorry.”
“I’m-” he stops. “Uh oh.”
“Uh oh?”
“Uh oh.” He nods towards the door.
“What’s uh oh?”
Daken puts his head down further in the bowl. “It’s my date. He’s outside the bathroom door.”
“What?”
“He’s mad.” Daken actually giggles. “He’s so, so mad.”
The door is banged on. “Open up princess.”
That voice sounds like a man I would not want to piss off.
“Go fuck yourself!” Daken calls back.
“Fuck my- Fuck myself??” The man sounds enraged. Definitely a New Yorker from the sound of it. “Fuck you!”
The door is bashed open.
The man is tall, bald, muscular, and very, very familiar.
“Oh we have a disagreement and you go running back to boy scout?” The nods towards me. He’s got crazy eyes. Crazy eyes if I’ve ever seen them.
“Fuck off!” Daken yells before retching again.
“Princess? Are you sick?” The man takes a step closer, but I put my hand on his chest.
“Why don’t we give Daken some room to breathe?”
“Look, boy toy, ya better get your fucking hands off of me.” The man sounds…
“Just back up dude.” I push harder.
He breaks from my hold and pulls a throwing knife outta his belt.
“Whoa!” I yelp. “Whoa! No need for that!’
“Got a problem boy scout?” He smiles widely.
“Johnny this is my date.” Daken says from the toilet. “Lester this is my ex-boyfriend.”
“Oh, I know who he is.” ‘Lester’ growls. “Now tell me – dear- why you ran off like that. The cops were called precious. You know how I hate cops.”
“If you hadn’t been such an ass- OH.” Daken pukes again. “Not fun.”
“Aw, princess. Can’t hold your high?”
“I have more pills.” Daken says offhandedly.
“That you’re gonna have to pay for.” Lester says patronizingly. “Heat comes with a price.”
“Heat?”
“The pills.” The man growls at me. “Stay out of it.”
“Look- I’ll pay what he owes. Just leave him alone.”
“It’s a matter of pride now.” Lester walks forward again. Knife brandished. “Princess got me in trouble.”
“Stop calling him that.” I growl. “And you’re obviously fine now. No damage done.”
“No- damage done.” The man laughs wryly. “Offense taken. Buddy boy’s gotta pay up now.”
“I don’t owe you shit!”
“Daken,” I soothe, “Maybe it’s best you stay out of it.”
“No!” He gets to his feet shakily. “Fuck you, Lester.” He stalks over and puts his finger on the man’s chest. “You think you can just pass through whenever the fuck you... you feel like it? You left me!”
“I LEFT YOU?” The man laughs. It's a head thrown back, loud, belly laugh. “WHAT?” He leans forward in his laughter.
This man is unhinged.
“Daken-” I pull him back. “Your date isn’t well- is he?”
Daken looks at me before shaking his head.
“And you made him mad?”
He nods.
“Why?”
To this, he shrugs.
“Hey- listen, Lester, what if Daken just gives you back the pills? How about that?”
Lester straightens up. “Hmm… keep talking.”
“He gives you back the pills, I’ll pay you for the one’s he’s taken, and we can all call it a night.”
“Fine.” He smiles. “It’ll be fun to wreck her highnesses night.”
“Daken,” I turn to him, “Let’s give the nice man his drugs back before someone, namely me- the person without a healing factor, get’s hurt.”
Daken is pouting.
“Where are the pills?”
“I don’t know.” he says.
“Liar.” Lester snorts.
I sigh. “No... he eh... hid them. On his person.”
“Then strip him.” Lester says, eyes gleaming.
“Don’t!” Daken cries.
“Do.” The man insists. “Get the pills back from our lovely little junkie.”
He’s already shirtless. There are not many places the pills could be hiding.
I pat down his sides.
“Don’t.” He says with pleading eyes.
“Shh.” There’s a bottle in his pocket. “Here.”
I reach in, but Daken stops me. “Those are mine!” he whines.
“I’m waiting.” Lester says from across the room.
Daken huffs and pulls out the pill bottle. He screws off the top and stares at Lester.
“There’s eight left.” He says after counting.
“Then you owe me for four extra.”
Daken shakes his head. “No. I’m going to owe you for twelve.”
“Twe- Oh no!”
It’s too late.
Daken tips the pill bottle back and swallows all eight of the pills at one time.
“Wrong move princess.”
“Run.” Daken whispers.
“What?”
“RUN!” He starts to push me out of the door.
“Get back here!” Lester thunders.
The commotion stops the DJ- killing the music. The crowd parts as we run into it.
“Get back here!” Lester stops running. A second after I think we’re free, a Knife lodges itself into the wall beside my head.
“He missed!” I crow.
“Warning shot.” Daken slurs.
I end up pulling him out the front the doors.
“Why are we running??” he asks sluggishly.
“Your date is trying to kill you!” I’m trying to get him to run but his feet are dragging.
Daken stops moving suddenly.
“OWW.” he yelps.
I look down and see two knives embedded in his calves.
We have to stop moving.
Lester catches up to us on the sidewalk.
“Now-“
He moves forward just as something flies through the air. Knocking him on his ass.
It’s too much of a shock. I’m still reeling from it as a form jumps down from the building behind us.
“You’re very lucky.” That voice- that voice I know. “Bullseye was having an off night.”
Bulls… fucking...
“BOO!” Daken cups his hands around his mouth. “BOO Daredevil!”
The man in red turns his attention to Daken. “It’s not smart to egg him on.” He says pointedly.
“Take Lester to jail!” Daken giggles. “And I want to keep his knives.” He bends down and removes the blades from his person. “He hates it when I take his things.”
“Thanks for getting him out of there with no civilian casualties.” Daredevil says, turning back to me.
“To be honest, I didn’t know who he was.” I have to laugh.
“Boo!” Daken giggles. He starts waving his hands around. “Can you see me?”
Daredevil sighs. “Apparently we both know that I can’t.”
“Daken.” I hiss.
“Good work Johnny.” Matt says, patting my shoulder. “I was tracking him from a bar riot… funnily enough, he was tracking you two. Any reason why?”
“He was my date.” Daken informs.
“Your…. Date?” Matt sounds confused.
Daken nods.
I don’t know if Matt can see it, though.
I don’t know how well his ‘thing’ works.
“Your date was fucking Bullseye?” I growl at Daken. “You couldn’t have led with that when we were talking about him?”
Daken grins and shakes his head.
“It wasn’t your business.”
“… Is he alright?” Matt asks after a few seconds.
“High as a kite.” I inform. “I’m taking him home, though.”
Bullseye starts groaning on the ground.
“I’ll get him to the police then.” he says with a nod.
“Thanks.” I smile. “For the assist.”
Matt shakes his head. “Be careful.”
Right.
Because I almost got into a bar fight with a supervillain.
“Boo!” Daken is still giggling. “Boo Daredevil!”
“He…”
“Ge’s high.” I tell Matt. “So, So high. I’ll get him home now.”
“You do that.” The man sounds amused.
“Are your legs healed?” I ask Daken.
He nods, grinning stupidly.
“Can you walk?”
He nods again.
“Good. Let’s go get a taxi.”
He nods for a third time.
Good. This is good. He’s one step closer to being home.
With all those pills in his system.
I wrap my arm around him and start walking him down the street.
Under his breath, he says about five more ‘boo daredevil’s’ ‘. Laughing at each one.
Daken moves in a serpentine pattern.
Like he’s unable to walk in a straight line.
“Going to take you straight to bed.” I say in his ear. “And you’ll have a really good sleep.”
“I’ll have a really good sleep.” he repeats.
“Yup. And when you wake up you’re not going to mess with Bullseye anymore.”
“I will, though.”
“You won’t.”
Daken shakes his head. “I will. I’ll go see him in prison to show him that I have his knives.” he giggles. “Lester hates when you take his things.”
Right.
Lester.
“I’m sure he does.” I grouse.
I flag down a taxi and shuffle Daken into the back.
The cab driver is an elderly man with wrinkled tan skin. “Where to?”
I turn to Daken. “Where do you live?”
He smiles and laughs.
“Well?”
Daken continues to laugh.
“Daken?”
“Where to buddy?”
Daken is rolling on the seat with laughter.
“What is so funny?” I demand.
Daken crooks his finger and motions for me to come closer.
“Yes?” I demand.
“Quieter!” he whispers yells.
“yes?” I whisper.
He giggles before whispering. “I forgot where I live.”
“Of course you did.” I groan straightening back up.
He laughs and laughs.
“Sorry.” I say to the cab driver. “We have to figure out exactly where we’re going.”
“I got other fares.” The man says in an annoyed huff.
“We won’t take any more of your time.” I apologize, pulling Daken out of the cab and back onto the sidewalk.
The cab pulls off.
“Daken.” I take him by the shoulder. “I need you to think really hard- okay? Where do you live?”
He sways in my hands. “You smell like sweat.” he giggles.
“Daken!” I snap. “Where do you live?”
“In California.” he smiles. “And Madripor. And France. And Germany. And London… Oh, I love London. I have a house in Japan. Would you like to go there? OH! I have-“
“Where do you live HERE? In New York.”
He laughs again. “I don’t remember!”
Of course.
Tonight just get’s better and better.