Shivers Night Club

Tucked behind a somewhat eccentric shop was one of the few clubs in town willing to allow students from the nearby school to pass through its bronze colored doors. The bouncers and other staff didn't seem to be the type to mess with, all tall, and visibly strong enough to take almost anyone down if they needed to. The olive-complected bouncer at the front door is the first thing to greet anyone daring to get inside and the one that anyone with a fake ID would have to deal with when, never if, he or she got caught.

The bronze at the front carries through the club in various accents, along with the deep blue of the walls and black of the ceiling and dance floor. Unusual photos of famous musicians hang on the walls with frames made of repurposed items: silverware on one, mardi gras beads on another. A seating area at the back is filled with leather furniture, though the barrel-chested bouncers are not too far away, ready to stop anything that would get out of hand on them. Ceiling lights hang from coppery colored chains and feature glasswork nearly as unique as the club's picture frames.

The bar area is clearly divided between "Legals" and "Underagers and DDs" (designated drivers). The owners have made a killing by allowing students to come to the club, but they weren't willing to risk the police to do it.

The crowd inside is mixed, with very little care if someone is straight, gay, bi or whatever. Again, the owners found that doing so only increased potential clientele, and money.

The music itself is not too loud to speak over, but the driving bass of the dj's selections vibrate the floors, sometimes even the dancers chests.

***

Walking inside, Ludwig felt horribly out of place, well, in regards to the dancing and the people making out in dimly lit corners of the club. Standing next to the bouncer, he'd felt almost at ease. Far more than he felt now that he felt obligated to do something other than lean against the nearest wall and wait for the night to be over.

He had a date after all. A date whose hand he was prepared to take once again after the large bouncer secured a wrist band on him and informed him not to try to get a drink. "Or else."

Roderich gave the bouncer a polite, disinterested smile as he received the (tacky and irritating) wristband, and followed Ludwig inside, glancing back briefly at Gilbert and Matt. He let his eyes adjust to the light, and scanned the room; large, crowded, with interior design just on the elegant side of hipster. Eyeing the dancefloor with interest and mild trepidation, he decided that was something to worry about later. Instead he turned to the bar, sighing.

'Shame about the legality of it all, mm?' he said, already wondering if bribes were a viable course of action. It wasn't as if he was a very heavy drinker or needed it to enjoy himself...but it could certainly be a social lubricant, as it were. Plus the idea of drunken Ludwig was intriguing, but no one needed to know that. 'Want to go and sit somewhere?'

Gilbert entered the club behind Roddy and his brother and nearly whooped from excitement...even with the stupid underage wristband. He was just too happy that this town had a club which allowed minors. And it wasn't strictly a straight club: even better because Gilbert didn't think he was strictly straight.

He grinned crookedly and patted his younger (but larger) brother on the shoulder. "So, you actually planning on dancing, West?"

He turned to Matthew and couldn't help the warm, stupid grin on his face. "Evere been to a club?"

Ludwig shrugged. He didn't really do dancing, and he wasn't sure if Roderich did either. He could see the teen enjoying dancing and the music, but at the same time, he could imagine him being more of a people watcher. "I don't know. I may just watch."

He didn't want to sound like he was putting down the idea of going onto the dance floor altogether, but he didn't want to do it unless he absolutely had to.

“Can’t say that I have.” He shrugged and smiled slightly. The town he had gone to school in before this one had had a club, but as far as he knew, they didn’t let minors in. And, truth be told, Matthew hadn’t really cared one way or the other; he had always imagined that he’d feel out of place in this sort of setting.

And he still did, but it was not nearly as bad as he told himself it would be. Which was usually the case, now that he thought about it. Matthew had found that more often than not, he had a better time when he allowed himself to worry less, and he figured that this was a step in the right direction.

Though he was still inwardly debating whether or not he’d actually dance at some point.

Roderich tapped Ludwig gently, gesturing to the couches in the back. 'Let's sit it out for now.'

Truthfully, given time to get over his mild inhibitions (and ideally a little Dutch courage), he was the kind of person to end up on the dancefloor. Often wrapped around someone else, more to the point, which was usually something to regret the next morning. Perhaps later on he'd attempt to pull his date on to the floor, but he sensed that wouldn't go over well just yet.

He walked over to a couch, avoiding the crowd, and managed to snag the area around a small table before it could be overtaken by inebriated college students.

Ludwig followed Roderich over to the couch, leaving Mattie and Gilbert to figure out what they were going to do. He was grateful that the very first thing Roderich had wanted to do was not step out onto the dance floor. As the man's date, Ludwig would have felt obligated to have joined him. and probably made an embarrassing display of himself if he did. Either by attempting to dance or by being the only one on the floor who wasn't.

He took a seat and left room for Roderich to sit beside him. He didn't think he'd avoid dancing before the night was over, because he knew if his date did, he would, too, but at least he could stall for now.

Gilbert saluted his brother as he and his new playmate ducked into the corner of the club known as the lounge. Or in Gilbert's world; the pussy corner.

Gilbert felt himself immediately spring into action. The albino was going to be dancing, and damn it if he was dancing alone while he looked so damn good. He grabbed Matthew's wrist and took off toward the dance floor, hauling the poor younger teen with him.

"You're mine for the first little bit, my friend. You aren't gettin' out of dancing with me just yet." He called back over his shoulder as he pulled them both through the thick crowd.

'Oh dear,' Roderich said with a smile, as Gilbert dragged the hapless Matthew off to dance. He slid on to the comfortable leather, close enough to Ludwig that he could feel the heat of his skin, and the solidity of his frame; not so close that it could be considered what his mother would have called 'canoodling'. Yet. 'Gilbert seems to be in his element here, at any rate.'

He leaned back in his seat, crossing his legs and eyeing Ludwig, as well as the crowd; occasionally a flash of white hair in the crowd caught his eye, and he felt partly amused and partly sorry for Matt.

Ludwig let his leg press against Roderich's. "I almost pity Matthew," he said as he tentatively put his hand on Roderich's knee, hoping that would be okay. "My brother probably won't let him out of his sight."

At least, that seemed to be the case for past experiences around his brother. "Gilbert never turns down the chance to show off, either." He occasionally spotted his brother as he weaved through the crowd on the dance floor. "And he'll be on full show tonight."

'Sometimes it's nice to have someone want to keep you in their sights all night,' Roderich replied. He sank a little closer to Ludwig, idly taking his hand. 'They seem to like each other, anyway.'

He smiled at his date; being without siblings himself, he found Ludwig and Gilbert endearing, even if they may not have gotten on that well. 'Does he do this often?'

"This is fairly on par for normal behavior for my brother," Ludwig said, letting his fingers lace with Roderich's. He wasn't normally a tactile sort of person, but it could have something to do with a lack of people to really touch in a friendly way. "And yes, having someone here at the club is definitely better than the prospect of being here alone."

He saw people mingling at the bar. "Did you want something to drink?" he asked, though he knew it would take more than what they would legally serve him to get him on the dance floor with his brother. Well, Roderich could probably persuade him if he really wanted to dance. If he'd convinced Ludwig to permanently alter their sleeping arrangements, he probably had other persuasive powers as well.

'If you were alone, though, you could always pick someone up,' Roderich said, teasingly. He had no doubt that Ludwig would attract attention if he was alone, even if he wasn't the type to follow through with anything.

Roderich glanced over at the bar; it probably wasn't worth trying to get served anything alcoholic, even if Ludwig did look like he could work security there. 'I could use a drink, yes. Anything's fine; or should I get them?'

He shook his head. "I can get them." He released Roderich's hand and stood from the couch. Walking over to the bar, he produced a few dollars to buy some Cokes for them both. He thought that was probably a safe bet. The bartender smiled at him and she giggled as he handed off the money to her.

It struck him as she lingered in placing his change in his palm that she was flirting with him. The fact that he'd noticed said either his observational skills were getting better or her flirting skills were very obvious. Either way, it was all Ludwig could do not to point out that he was at least five years younger than her and as gay as a pride parade, though considerably less flashy.

Instead, he gave her a small smile and his thanks before returning to his roommate's side, still surprised that the woman had flirted with him.

Roderich leaned on the arm of the couch as Ludwig walked off, watching him go; he eyed his interaction with the (rather attractive) lady bartender. He couldn't supress a laugh at the bemused expression on Ludwig's face; he really didn't see why a woman would hit on him. It was...adorable.

He took his drink as Ludwig returned, smiling in thanks. 'See what I mean? You'd be fine on your own...I doubt you'd even be on your own for long. Although I suppose it wouldn't be a woman, would it...' he mused, not terribly concerned about the possibility of his date attracting other people. It would render his speech about Ludwig not tying himself down a little pointless if he got jealous.

Ludwig felt his cheeks turn a bit pink at the fact Roderich had noticed the interaction. "I think if I'd have been on my own, I'd have stepped in the front door, then turned around to leave." He sat down beside Roderich and looked down at the drink in his hand. "And no... definitely not a woman. I just ... don't get women. They're so different and are soft and curved ... no, definitely not a woman," he repeated with a shake of his head.

He looked up at Roderich and gave a small smile. "Men are much better." Not that he had any experience with anyone else, but he knew he liked men better, stared at them, appreciated their bodies. And he'd definitely liked his time with his date the night before.

'Women are lovely,' Roderich said softly, with a slight smile. 'The trick is not to act like they're mystical, unfathomable creatures. I often get on much better with women, actually, not sure why. But if that's not where your tastes lie, there are plenty of men in the world, and they have their charms.'

He sipped his drink, leaning into Ludwig again. 'But I'm sorry to say you'll probably have to face your fair share of interested girls.' He gave him a small grin. 'The poor things. I know I'd feel let down if you'd turned out to be straight.' As bad as he felt for these hypothetical women, he was perfectly happy with the current arrangement.

Ludwig shifted a little closer to Roderich. "I don't think I'm going to switch that drastically," he said, taking the teen's hand in his own. "I'm very happy exactly the way things are."

He knew Roderich had more experience than him, had even said they didn't need to keep things between just the two of them, but knowing that and hearing him talk about women the way that he did troubled the blond a bit. Maybe because Roderich certainly seemed to like them and Ludwig was just about as far from feminine as he thought was genetically possible for a teenager.

Then, a thought worthy of his brother struck him.

"Though ... I might be able to convince the bartender to give us something stronger in this Coke." Having been in Germany, American military brat or not, he'd been allowed alcohol at restaurants and such. He was actually used to beer and wine by now, in small amounts.

Roderich squeezed Ludwig's hand reassuringly. 'I'm happy too. If I start to go on about women and it bothers you, just tell me to be quiet, I won't be offended,' he said, half jokingly. He was very interested in them, but right now he was even more interested in Ludwig, and he didn't want him to think otherwise.

'Oh? Well, if anyone could do it, you could. If you want to risk it go ahead, but don't feel you have to. American bars are annoyingly strict, my next trip to Austria will be a relief.' Even in the states he'd often indulged underage, but usually on private property, at least.

"I'm so used to being bounced around ... I miss Germany and the beer. American beer doesn't compare." He glanced up at the bar again, wondering if he actually had the nerve to do something he was 100% sure was illegal. He toed the line so much when it came to just about anything.

"Maybe later, when the bouncers aren't hovering around so much," he said. Naturally, it had nothing to do with the fact that Ludwig wanted to stall, and at heart, he was a chicken when it came to doing something other than following the rules.

He saw others in the club dancing against one another, some kissing, a few making out -- the night was still young, and he was sure he'd see more of that later. He felt like he needed to do something; he couldn't really imagine Roderich wanted to just sit here the whole night. Since the options seemed to be dancing or kissing, he went for kissing. He knew he didn't look like too much of a fool when he did that.

Though, kissing Roderich mostly on the cheek wasn't probably the smoothest move. Especially given the mole that, whether real or in his head, Roderich swore had a connection to ... other areas.

After a few seconds of consideration and a couple of glances toward the dance floor, Matthew decided that maybe he’d just go to dance a little later—or maybe Gilbert would just drag him to dance anyway, whatever.

“Wait wait wait, now? But…” he sighed and let himself be led through the crowd with a small smile, “Well, okay.”

Oh well, he might as well have some fun with it. It would be a shame if he came here just so that he could wimp out at the last minute. After all, it was just dancing; whether or not he was actually good at it was beside the point. Perhaps.

'I expect they'll move along sooner or later to deal with troublema- oh,' Roderich broke off as Ludwig kissed him, coming perilously close to that irksome mole. He hastily put his drink on the table, shifting to fit against Ludwig better; resting his hands on the broad shoulders in front of him, he kissed him back, this time at a better angle. He'd expected it would take more than a little idle conversation to get Ludwig to make out with him (in public, too), but apparently not. Or maybe this was the preferable alternative to drinking and dancing; he had to smile at that thought.

Even Roderich didn't go for public sex, though, so he kept it tame, hands remaining at Ludwig's neck, even though they were itching to wander elsewhere.

Ludwig was very happy to have Roderich help him with his awkward kiss. He'd not really been thinking, other than it might get him out of dancing, and had thought perhaps the other teen wouldn't want to do this in public. He seemed open about a lot of things, but Ludwig was still getting to know him. He easily could have pegged him wrong when it came to public displays.

But thankfully, he was kissing back, this time full on the lips, so Ludwig kept his Coke in his hand while his other one slid beneath Roderich's to curl up and grasp at the teen's shoulder from behind. He wondered how good he'd have to be to keep Roderich from thinking about women. At least, for the moment.

Roderich didn't particularly care that they were in public- it was a club, after all, and this was outright tame. He was mildly ashamed to recall worse things he'd done...but only mildly. He was surprised to find Ludwig so open, but it was definitely a good thing.

He shivered very slightly as Ludwig's arm wrapped around him, leaning into him and sliding his hands down Ludwig's chest. He was happy to let Ludwig take the initiative this time, parting his lips slightly for him and shifting as close as their seating arrangement would allow. Needless to say, he didn't have room in his mind for much else right at that moment.

Ludwig tried to go on instinct, letting his tongue slide between the other teen's lips and simply feel the hands that were moving over his chest. That didn't mean, however, that he let up on the deathgrip he had on his Coke between them. A small part of his mind, the self-preservationist, was determined not to let that spill on them and ruin a perfectly good and non-embarrassing moment.

He let his hand at Roderich's back slide down from his shoulder and rest a few inches below his rib cage. He was never the type to think public displays were necessary or appropriate, but he was too stupidly happy as his tongue began moving against Roderich's to really care about words like "necessary" or "appropriate." His brain was too focused on things like "more" and "tastes good."