Underground Secrets ( YellowMelon & Sosuke0549 )

[YellowMelon]

A typical shift for Blaise was from evening to a couple hours past midnight, from 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM. He wasn't used to working at noon or in the afternoon and never wanted to. He liked to leave that time open to spend time with Asta since that seemed to be the only time they could meet on the weekdays. This allowed them to eat lunch together until Blaise had to leave to prepare for work and Asta had to attend to other activities. He always looked forward to this break. He didn't have to concern himself with anything except with what his boyfriend was saying, how he was doing, and when they would meet again. His usual parting words were "Same time" with an excited "Yes!" from Asta. He would then give him a quick kiss on the cheek and leave before the favor could be returned. How he loved teasing his smaller boyfriend. Today, however, he would be able to do no such thing.

 

At 10:00 AM, he had picked up a call from his coworker asking if he would cover an afternoon shift. Initially, he had said no and hung up, but his coworker called back and begged for his help. After a 30-minute conversation of the coworker explaining how much he would owe him and would cover one of his shifts so he could have a day off, Blaise finally agreed to come in for the day simply to get the coworker to shut up. Now, not only did he have to work his usual hours, but he had to come in early to work extra hours. Why couldn't his coworker call someone else? There were two strippers who weren't working today, so they could have easily been brought in, although they wouldn't make as much money as him. He knew that was the reason why he was the to-go choice when a worker had to miss a shift. He could bring in a lot of customers when word got out that he was there.

 

Blaise immediately texted Asta to tell him that he would have to skip their meeting time and added a frowny face for the emphasis of how disappointed he was. There was nothing more he could do about that. To prepare for the long workday ahead of him, Blaise chose an all-black outfit of leather briefs with a buckle that locked around his thigh, a long-sleeved mesh shirt, a leather collar, and combat boots with a two-inch block heel. His non-black clothes were his blue jeans and beige trench coat used to cover the outfit underneath. He never found it necessary to bring a spare change of clothes with him to change into after work, like most of his coworkers did, since his apartment was so close to his workplace. If he really needed something warmer, he had a long winter coat located in his locker in the backroom.

 

After brushing his teeth, Blaise left his apartment with his phone, keys, and wallet in the pocket of his coat. It was 12:00 PM and his shift started in an hour. He still had to put lotion on before he went on stage, but he didn't need to rush walking. At his normal pace, he would be at the club in twenty minutes. If he went extra slow, thirty. As he was about to cross the street, Blaise dangerously stopped on the crosswalk when he heard a familiar voice. It was Fang, dressed in his usual comfortable attire. He looked like he had not a care in the world and he likely didn't.

 

"You smell nice again...but..lately you carry another scent on you...but I'ts always the same scent...Are you seeing someone?"

The stripper didn't mind the personal question, but he casually leaned away from the werewolf when he sniffed him. While he usually didn't mind people standing a little too close to him, and was used to it while working, Fang was an exception to his preference. He always seemed to be sniffing him when he was close to him and that made him self-conscious. Although he appreciated knowing what he smelt like, he only wanted his smell to be pleasant, but Fang pointed out otherwise.

 

"Not that I care. Just curious...if so...you partner smells like...Like a gym and... deodorant."

"Yeah, I am dating someone. Thanks for asking. I didn't expect to smell like them though." While Blaise loved his boyfriend, smelling like gym and deodorant displeased him. Although he couldn't smell the scents himself, he knew there would be clients who could, and he couldn't have them smelling something so unattractive. He hoped his lavender body lotion would dispel the smell when he put it on later. "Anyway, I have to cover a shift for one of the other strippers in the club. He forgot he had an appointment in the afternoon, so called me this morning to cover. He was so persistent and annoying that I couldn't say no. Because of him, I have to work his shift and my usual evening shift." Just saying that he had to work his normal hours in addition to the afternoon hours irked him. He couldn't help but look displeased.

 

On his way to work, Blaise tended to cut across the park, but, this time, he stuck to the sidewalk that bordered the green grass. "What about you? How long are you working today?" He glanced at the werewolf, genuinely curious about how long he intended to be at the club. He didn't know much about Fang, but he knew he was only one of two bartenders. It must have be a demanding job.

 

---

Given the warm, sunny weather, Diamond decided it was best to go outside than to stay inside and stare at his computer screen all day. He had already finished his assignments, so he had time to kill and thought the best way to kill it was to grab a book from his bookshelf and read. It was almost noon and he was a fast reader. He could definitely finish a book before sunset while soaking up some vitamin D. He was dressed in his usual outfit of choice: skinny jeans, a light pink tee shirt, and an off-white cardigan. The strap of his messenger bag hung over his shoulder with his house keys, phone, a couple of books, and whatever junk was left in the bag.

 

Having walked to the park, the student was glad to find an empty wooden bench where he could sit and position his messenger bag next to him. He wasn't keen on allowing others sit next to him if any passerby considered it, so he positioned himself in the middle of the bench which faced the basketball court. He crossed one leg over the other, pulled out one of his hardcover books and began reading. His poor posture had him arching his back as he rested his book on his knee. Soon, however, he was engrossed in the story and let time pass without care.

 

"Hey!!! Diamond..right? What's up!"

No response.

 

"You come to this park too? Small world! Whatcha reading? You wanna play with me? I promise to go easy on ya."

Slowly, Diamond was pulled from his book by the incessant talking of another individual. He didn't have to look up to know who it was despite the other not introducing himself. It was Asta. He was such a bubbly individual in school and being out of school didn't seem to affect his personality. It really was a small world for Asta to find him here in the park, especially since he didn't come here often. What luck.

 

He closed his book as he looked up at the shorter individual who was smiling down at him. "I'm reading an erotica." Diamond responded, seeing if he could phase the younger male. He returned the book to his messenger bag whilst hiding the innocent cover of a mystery novel. "As you can probably see by my attire, my clothes are unfit to play any sport, including basketball, but I appreciate the offer. Also, I don't like sweating." He added the last comment casually as he pulled the straps of his messenger bag closed. "What are you doing here anyway, besides playing basketball?" He returned his attention to Asta. "I may not be that knowledgeable in basketball, but isn't it usually played with other people? Did you come to the park alone or with someone?"

[Sosuke0549]

When Blaise admitted to dating someone, Fang couldn't even image who this individual might be. Not to many things interested Fang, but for some reason this did. What did his partner look like ? If Fang had to guess what Blaise was into it was probably pretty boys. Guys who looked just like him, models, maybe even a celebrity. Then again, he could be bi-sexual... "Its faint...very very faint." He muttered. Blaise then informed him on why he was working and how displeased he was. He simply shrugged after his little rank saying, "Shouldn't have taken it then," he slipped his hands into his pockets acting cool. "But you working a double is troublesome...it means I'll be much more busier way before happy hour. You always bring the most foot traffic when you work. " Blaise was easily one of there top strippers, and there manager knew it. He always tried to book Blaise during the busier hours and even offered to pay for private classes in all sorts of things. He only did that when he really liked you and saw potential in you. It wasn't unheard of for the guy to even pay for gym memberships for his top strippers since he wanted them to stay in shape.

 

Fang continued to follow Blaise, cutting through the park. Hm...I guess this way is a bit faster.

"What about you? How long are you working today?"[/Quote] The werewolf blinked, not expecting the other to be curious of him. "I work till close. " He yawned already feeling tired despite the fact that he hasn't done anything physically damaging. "As you know, Eric and I are the only bartenders. So we both aggreeded to work full days and alternate. Since he needs to feed and I need to turn, doing this gives us days off, but he works a lot more than me, given that he's a vampire and hardly needs to sleep." He huffed a heavy sigh, not really enjoying today's sunny weather. "Aren't you hot in that. "

 

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Asta grinned, waiting eagerly for Diamond's response. He was always so reserved. Come to think of it, Asta never really saw Diamond around people. Did he not have any friends?

"I'm reading an erotica."[/Quote]

Asta immediately turned red, even going as far as dropping his ball in shock. "Uh- I..unh....s-seriously?" He asked hesitantly, struggling to find his words as he quickly retrieved his ball, which rolled a few steps away from him. How could Diamond be reading something so...perverted! And in public! Did he have no shame!

"As you can probably see by my attire, my clothes are unfit to play any sport, including basketball, but I appreciate the offer. Also, I don't like sweating."[/Quote] Asta cleared his throat, shaking his head and smirking. He believed that you could play basketball in anything, regardless of your attire, he even once played the sport in a dress! "I think you could if you really wanted too. " The shorter male, suddenly decided to sit next to Diamond on the bench, slipping into the small space with some diffcultly, but not taking the hint that the other purposely sat in the middle so others wouldn't sit next to him. "But I won't force ya...I'm pretty intimidating on the court. " He laughed. It was suppose to be a joke given his height.

"What are you doing here anyway, besides playing basketball?" [/Quote]

"I come here all the time, and play basketball - its kind of the only thing I do. "

"I may not be that knowledgeable in basketball, but isn't it usually played with other people? Did you come to the park alone or with someone?"[/Quote]

"Oh," He laughed a little, shrugging innocently. "Yeah it is, but I'm by myself. " Asta had to work twice as hard to get to where he was today. Most people had talent and that's why they were good at something, but Asta was all hard work. " I bet you come here to people watch." He joked, his eyes scanning over the park to find someone interesting but they suddenly fell on a familiar face, Blaise.

 

B..Blaise? He stared at the other, confused suddenly feeling hurt and...oddly jealous. Who was that guy with him? He slowly stood, wondering if he should run after him to say hi or if he should just follow them. That guy was defiantly good looking, and much more taller than him...M-maybe there just friends..co-workers...Blaise...wouldn't cheat on me...n-no...no way. Asta quickly shook his head, shaking out the negative thoughts, hoping that what he was seeing was nothing serious.

[YellowMelon]

Blaise narrowed his eyes at the comment Fang made with the implication that he had troubled him just by showing up to work. Although he knew it was true, that it would be troubling, he didn't like hearing it from the bartender. Those were not words of praise coming from the other and that was enough to bother him. He continued walking beside Fang while his eyes stayed glued to his path ahead of him. They were entering the business district where their workplace was located. The entrance to the club was in a dead-end alley, easy to miss if one were not paying attention. Blaise had, more than a couple of times, missed his destination before and wandered around aimlessly in confusion until he realized it. He didn't want to do it this time because he was sure Fang would point out his mistake. He already felt a bit embarrassed with him not knowing that the werewolf worked every other day. He just wasn't that attentive to who was working behind the counter at any given time.

 

"Aren't you hot in that."

Was that a serious remark? Anyone would be hot in this weather being completely covered like he was. "It's tolerable," was all he said, then continued on after a pause, "I don't think you want to see what's underneath." Blaise laughed, revealing the reason why he was dressed in such a manner. He was bold enough to wear his work clothes under a covering but not bold enough to show the public, nonpaying customers, his attire.

 

---

"Uh- I..unh....s-seriously?"

Diamond let out a quiet, yet audible, snort at how embarrassed Asta was. He wasn't even the one who was reading the said erotic novel and he was slowly turning beet red. It was as if he was the one acting so daring in public when, in reality, neither of them were doing anything illegal. Reading was certainly not a crime, even if Diamond had been reading an erotica. The most he would get would be odd looks, innocent reactions similar to Asta's, and public reprimands. They were nothing he couldn't handle since he didn't get embarrassed easily. Not as easily as Asta at least.

 

"I think you could if you really wanted to."

 

Exactly. Diamond was not a sportsperson, whether it be an indoor sport or an outdoor sport. He was much more active in activities that didn't require a lot of physical strength or agility, such as writing or completing jigsaw puzzles. They were rather boring hobbies, admittedly, but he preferred them over a game of basketball. So, he really didn't want to play the sport, and he was glad his reluctance showed. Plus, as he mentioned before, he was not a big fan of sweating. The feeling was simply gross to him. He didn't know how Asta could play on such a sunny day and want to work up a sweat. Well, to each their own, as they say.

 

The English major furrowed his brow but said nothing as the other forced himself on the bench. Asta was a bit more clueless than Diamond had expected. He slightly moved away from the basketball player, leaving a gap between them, and grabbed his messenger bag so it rested on his lap with his arms wrapped around it. He listened to Asta as he addressed his questions. If basketball was supposed to be played with more than one player, he wondered why Asta was playing alone. Had he been expecting a second player who just didn't show, or did he originally come by himself? Why would he want to play by himself? That seemed a little lonely. The thought almost made Diamond want to throw the ball just once, but that was a fleeting thought.

 

"I bet you come here to people watch."

 

"Oh, yes, I love to people watch," he joked with Asta, "But, sadly, there aren't many people worth watching." He let out an exasperated sigh as his eyes followed the direction where his colleague was staring. It was a strange sight to see the same person he had met several days before walking with another individual. Where was the companion when he was buying groceries? He seemed like he would have been helpful. What was the other's name again? The questions that went through Diamond's mind were just questions due to normal curiosity. The sight didn't bother him as much as it did Asta, and, looking at the other shake his head, he could tell he knew the passersby.

 

"Do you know them?" He asked gently. "I met the taller guy at the grocery store several days ago. His name was Fang, I think. I offered him a ride home. I don't remember giving him my name though." Diamond's voice trailed off in thought before he continued talking. "He was a bit standoffish, but he seems like a decent guy." As he said this, he returned to look at Asta, still curious if he knew he pair. "Do you know him, or the other guy?"

[Sosuke0549]

The two supernatural creatures continued to walk together, soon reaching the business district. When Fang asked if the other was hot in his attire he said.

"It's tolerable,"[/Quote] The werewolf nodded, but still wasn't really sure as to why Blaise objected himself to this heat in such clothes. Just before he was about to ask, the stripper continued,

"I don't think you want to see what's underneath." [/Quote] His colleague laughed. So...Blaise was actually bold enough to were his sluty attire in public, it was hidden sure, but still... Fang turned away, smirking a little. " Ball-zee. " He stepped forward to the entrance of the club, which was hidden in plan sight, but still very easy to miss and opened door for the stripper. Who knew Fang could be a gentleman. "Knock'em dead. "

 

Asta stood there, frozen for a second as his curiosity began eating away at him. Who was that guy? And why did he have to know!

"Do you know them?"[/Quote] Asta glanced at Diamond, trying to smile but he suddenly looked uncomfortable. Like something was bothering him. His eyes following Blaise and the stranger, and it wouldn't be long until he lost sight of them. I...I wanna know who he is..I...I feel...really bad for some reason...but I know I should let Blaise explain himself...I know I'm just..jumping to conclusions... "Y-yeah..one of them at least. "

"I met the taller guy at the grocery store several days ago. His name was Fang, I think. I offered him a ride home. I don't remember giving him my name though." [/Quote]

"Wait what? You know that guy?! " He turned back at the English major with wide eyes. So...that handsome guys name was Fang! Even his name is cooler than mine!

"He was a bit standoffish, but he seems like a decent guy....Do you know him, or the other guy?"[/Quote]

"F-Fang no..but..the other guy...yeah...Um...thanks for filling me in, I'm actually gonna go. Sorry- see ya around Diamond. " He spoke quickly, gathering his things in a haste before running out of the park at top speed. It was pretty obvious as to where he was going, he was trying to catch up and follow Fang and Blaise.

 

Asta dunked behind a trash can, watching as Blaise and this so called Fang entered what appeared to be a underground club. The Crypt...Blaise did say he worked in a club... He glanced around, feeling a little paranoid since they weren't in the best of neighborhoods. He sighed heavily, as he mustered up the courage he needed to sneak into Blaise's work place. I'll be in and out. Real quick! He won't even know I'm there! Operation spy on my boyfriend and make sure he's not cheating -even tho I know this is wrong and I now realize how easily jealous I get - IS A GO!