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player 3.","description_bbcode_parsed":"Ready player 3.","writing":"[center][b]CHAPTER XXIII[/b][/center]\n\n[color=#a40000]He hadn’t been here in awhile, as he was much too busy for this scene these past few weeks. Coming here was more of a getaway if anything else. Two dead bodies. Those goddamn idiots didn’t listen to orders and they ended up getting shot to hell. They were his comrades, people he spoke to, laughed with and even spent entire days with when he was off when usually he’d just go home and sleep. He wasn’t super affected by their deaths but it sat with him tonight. He raised a glass as the bartender refilled his drink. \n\n“To them.” He said quietly and downed the drink with one smooth gulp. He’d lost track of time, the music and guys all around drowned out his thoughts with -some- success of keeping him distracted. It wasn’t the best but he felt comfortable. Seeing lively bodies bounce around, move in ways he’d never dream of doing. People like this didn’t know the life he had, the shit he’d seen. They were so carefree, and damn there beautiful in ways he couldn’t believe. He was very quiet about his interests, no one on his team really knew he was more into guys than girls, hell he probably never looked at a woman with the equal amount of lust he’d feel for a well toned man. \n\nIt was strange, as his most frequent partner and friend, Zouge, was probably the biggest eye candy in the precinct yet he felt nothing. She was an amazing agent and formidable ally, nothing more, nothing less. He sighed, she’d been there too. It hurt to see those bodies but they carried on. It had been nearly 48 hours since they discovered them but it still hurt. His mind was just a clusterfuck of things he didn’t need to think about. Zhadow wanted to have another glass, calling the bartender over and noticed a familiar shadow of blue. \nZonic was here? He didn’t think he’d -ever- see someone from his work. He couldn’t help but stare. From what he knew. Zonic was entirely married to his work, constantly serious in every situation, taking everything with heart. He was a great cop from what Zhadow knew, best in his section of the business. He never really gave the other much thought, but it was very nice to see a familiar face. He wasn’t sure if approaching the other was the best, as Zonic seemed… unsettled. He noticed that the other just looked so out of place. Maybe this was his first time. \n\n“Grab him another glass of whatever he’s having.” Zhadow said to the bartender, “I don’t mind if you tell him who gave it to him, haha... “ It wasn’t a big deal, if they ended up talking, that’d be fine. He was curious but also a little on edge. In a gay bar of all places… but they somewhat knew each other so… a distraction. [/color]\n\n[color=#204a87]Zonic looked up at the bartender in utter confusion as he was offered a second drink. \"I didn't order another-\" He started but the barkeeper just chuckled at him. \"You've got a friend over there darling.\" he said pointing at Zhadow. Even without looking Zonic knew exactly who he was pointing at. Sure. The night could stand to get a little worse. Why not just expose his newly discovered sexual orientation to his workplace. And possibly get mocked by an elite agent while he was at it. His ears were drooping slightly but he looked up anyway.\n\nNodding at Zhadow as thanks for the drink. The drink he took a big sip of to battle his nervosity. He had to calm down. Zhadow wasn't a big talker. He wasn't gonna tell everyone at work that they'd met at a gay bar, right? For all he knew, nobody even knew that Zhadow came here. So weren't they in the same situation. And Zhadow clearly meant no harm, he even bought him a drink. Right. He was being overly anxious. After downing the rest of the first whiskey to feel a little more brave he Got up from his chair, the drink he'd been gifted in his hand.\n\nHis heart was pounding. Why was this so nerve wracking??? Maybe meeting someone he knew was a blessing. Maybe it'd be the perfect distraction. He could stop thinking about Scourge and instead focus on this evening. And who knew, it was possible that Zhadow talked more outside of work. After all Zonic had a few sides to him as well that his coworkers didn't know a thing about.\n\nHe sat on the chair next to Zhadow. Chaos, he was impressed that, in an establishment like this, the dark hedgehog wasn't being swarmed by people. \"Thanks.\" He said, placing the drink on the table. \"I... didn't expect to see a familiar face here.\" He was clinging to his glass for emotional support and glanced at the Hedgehog next to him. Yes. Just smalltalk. That had to be possible. No matter how awkward this was. \"You come here often?\"[/color]\n\n[color=#a40000]The drink was received, a smile given back to the other and now back to his own thoughts. Zhadow didn’t really feel it was necessary to get up and talk to the other, as now… maybe it was best they didn’t talk. He went back to staring at his glass, sighing as he felt maybe it was time to go. It would’ve been interesting to talk to Zonic just to know what was up, but he was somewhat undecided now. It would be kind of weird to see the blue hedgehog at work, knowing he came to gay bars of all places. Maybe it was best they just… left this night ambiguous for the both of them. \n\nThough that thought was thrown right out the window as the other appeared next to him just as he was digging for his wallet. How… strange. Zhadow settled back into his seat, hand out of his pocket with his wallet still sitting snug inside. He blinked, what a… cliche question. He began to chuckle, something he hadn’t done in a while now. \n\n“I can’t tell if you’re just being funny… I mean.. I could ask you the same thing if my answer wasn’t ‘yes’.’ He felt a bit embarrassed by that, having a gay bar he frequented, but Zhadow never felt embarrassed over his sexuality in general, just the kind of vibe this place could give out. He was pretty happy with himself, really. “This is quite a first. You of all people, so dedicated to the job… out at a place like this. Though it is a pretty nice establishment. Not too much riff raff come around.” He sipped the last of his drink. Zhadow slowly felt more at peace with talking, it was keeping his mind busy so this wasn’t too big of a deal. \n\nHe ordered another glass, might as well since he might be staying a while. The look of the blue cop seemed… well very out of place. He was obviously nervous, which was something Zhadow didn’t think his comrade was even capable of. \n\n“You don’t have to tell me why you’re here. You could easily just be here cause it’s the closest bar, maybe you’re looking for someone or… I don’t know, take your mind off things. Whatever the reason, it’s not my business unless you choose to tell me. So relax, I have no intention of letting the whole precinct know you came to a gay bar.” [/color]\n\n[color=#204a87]Zonic felt his face heat up at the teasing. But Zhadow's last sentence finally got him to look at the other. With wide eyes and a genuinely surprised expression. \"So you -do- talk more out of job.... thanks.\" He took another sip of the whiskey. \"To be... completely honest... I'm here to distract myself. For... reasons that I don't want to bore you with... I can't go home tonight. And I thought maybe I'll find some company here...\" He mused, pushing the ice cubes in his drink around with one claw without actually touching the whiskey. At least until he realised what the things he'd just said sounded like.\n\n\"I mean. Not like -that-. I think... Chaos, I need to get drunk before I go insane.\" He whined, emptying the rest of the whiskey in one go. Zhadow wasn't going to tell anyone anything. He was gonna be fine. So what did it matter. He could just spend the whole evening being miserable if he wanted to. Who was going to stop him? He'd get drunk tonight until he couldn't remember his own name. And tomorrow he'd have an awful headache. Scourge would have won their bet and he'd go back to being a workaholic. And maybe he found people here who would take care of his newly discovered -other- needs.\n\n...Well. In theory. Though by now he was pretty convinced that Scourge had been right. Again. And nobody would want him. He didn't know how to dress sexy or how to flirt. The only person he'd ever flirted with was the lady at the front desk at work so she'd share her doughnuts with him. Other than that he was married to his work. How was he supposed to know how all this worked. And he was on edge anyway because his mind kept drifting back to the beautiful white fox currently having sex with Scourge. Ah. There it was again. He paled slightly and the sick feeling returned. So he emptied the whiskey and raised his hand to call the bartender again. More. He wanted to stop thinking completely.\n\nHe looked over to the dancefloor. Everyone there was having so much fun. Moving to the bass heavy beat, grinding against each other. Chatting, laughing, kissing. There were couples in the corners being all lovey dovey too. Two of them were so into it they'd probably forgotten where they were. Zonic watched them for a moment. So carefree. No one here had a problem with being gay. Why in the multiverse was it so hard for Scourge?[/color]\n\n[color=#a40000]Such a pained tone in Zonic’s voice, there was definitely a lot going on behind that struggling facade. Zhadow wasn’t one to pry, simply nodding along and taking whatever information he was given. He sought no reason to ask for more exposition, completely fine with being left in the dark over the details. He could echo the same back, here to distract himself, not really up to going home without having alcohol raid his mind blank. He couldn’t though, he had to drive back home, which he began to feel stupid for bringing it since he could easily -run- home. Though if he choose to get drunk, he’d be running pretty wildly. \n\n“Don’t drink too much… I’ll have to drive you back home if you drown yourself in booze.” He turned to the other, watching his gulp down his glass. “Sorry to hear that though.” He wasn’t really sure what to say. Despite being slightly more talkative in a casual setting, Zhadow was still pretty quiet. He had no idea how to really push small talk into a deeper conversation. It just felt like something he’d have to force due to not usually being in these situations. So with that, he remained silent. His drink came, he sipped but felt no need to rush it. He had already had two glasses and only now did he feel the slight buzz. His alcohol tolerance was pretty high, so it wasn’t an issue to buy maybe one more if he felt it was necessary. \n\nSeeing Zonic’s attention fall on others out on the dancefloor, he mused to himself the possibilities that could be going through the blue hog’s mind. Had he ever been to a gay bar before? Was this his first time or was he just finding a new place to chill at? Was he interested in dancing? Maybe someone caught his eye. The questions were very ‘whatever’ but he never thought to ask them all at once. Instead, he assumed this was a good conversation starter, though he hoped it wouldn’t toss the other into a stressed loop. If he needed a distraction, maybe they could help each other. \n\n“Never understood how people could let loose under the influence… but I have a pretty high tolerance and… never go too far so I guess that’s something I’ve yet to experience. They all look so carefree. Kind of jealous.” He turned back to his drink. Such acts were never something he felt were a necessity when visiting a bar. Still, he envied the younger spirits these other men had. Envied that they could just live life with large smiles on their faces like that. He had just been too stuck in himself and his work to really give stuff like that a chance. He sounded like an old man, for sure. [/color]\n\n[color=#204a87]Zonic was happy to turn his attention back to Zhadow. Chaos, part of him prayed the striped hedgehog would never stop talking just so he had something to focus on. \"It's fine... I'll go home when I'm sober again. I'm in no rush.\" He shrugged and ordered his new drink. He knew he should be drinking more slowly but today he just couldn't care less.\n\n\"Heh...\" He made quietly. \"I don't have a very high tolerance. The influence of alcohol is really scary... you can kind of... lose yourself. Not that it changes who you are... it just... makes you care a lot less about what you do and say. And then you wake up and regret everything.\" He mumbled. Sipping his new drink once it arrived. Why was he talking about this. He should stop. This wasn't helping.\n\nFor a moment he closed his eyes, one foot tapping to the the music's beat. He felt like he could get lost in it. He'd never danced before and wondered if it was fun. \"Tonight I just want to forget everything. Stop thinking.\" He raised his glass slightly, staring into the liquid for a minute before he looked at Zhadow again. His head was leaned into one hand while he basically scanned the hedgehog. \"I've never danced before. Wanna dance?\" He gave the other half a grin. He wanted to dance. Sure he had no idea how to move. But the music made his body move on its own anyway. So why not give it a try. What was the worst that could happen? Everyone on the dancefloor was so occupied with their partners or with themselves nobody would even notice how awful he was at this.\n\nBefore Zhadow could actually answer however, Zonic suddenly remembered who he was talking to. \"Only if you want to. Originally I'm just here to get drunk. Having fun is optional.\" He shrugged. But then he couldn't deny he really wanted to try. If Zhadow didn't want to join him maybe he'd just drink until he was brave enough and then go by himself. Even the few huge guys on the dancefloor who were constantly dancing at others, grinding against them while doing so, didn't scare him.\n\nHe could do with some physical contact. \"I'm definitely dancing.\" He decided and downed his third drink, shuddering after due to the bitter taste and the burning in his throat. He'd decided. \"Coming along? I'm sure being a bit carefree for once would do wonders for both of us. As far as I hear you're about as married to your job as I am. And why would you come here if not to let loose.\"[/color]\n\n[color=#a40000]Zhadow’s ear flinched at the mention of dancing. This was definitely something he knew nothing about, never in his life had he ever attempted to dance and he was less than ready to drink enough just to attempt it. He couldn’t even see himself standing up on the dancefloor just to be there, it was a foreign concept but the blue cop had a point. He came here to find some kind of distraction. His nights at the bar normally consisted of lots of alcohol, then going home. He, on occasion, had brought home a guy every blue moon but sex didn’t always happen. Sometimes the other was too drunk, other times he just didn’t feel it and talking was all they could accomplish. He had a lot of set ways of dealing with other people, though this came so unexpectedly. \n\nThe black and red hedgehog wasn’t afraid to try though, as he stood up once Zonic did, abandoning his drink with his hands in his pockets. \n\n“I’ll have you know, I’m more than likely to just stand around as I’ve never done this before… But I suppose you do have a good point. I’ve yet to really let loose at all.” He looked at the dancefloor, seeing the other men move their bodies along with the music. Never his taste to be presented from the speakers, but he liked it enough to not mind it. Still, being musically moved was… somewhat hard. He tried to listen for the beat to give hima good starter, taking Zonic by the hand and turned to him. “You may want to lead me.. You probably do this better than I do since it -was- your idea.” He felt himself smirk a bit. This wasn’t so bad… Maybe it’d be one of those moments he could chuckle about some time later on.Whatever the cost, he wouldn’t feel much like a fool since the rest of the part-goers were very much stuck in their own world’s. \n\nWith his feet slowly moving along with Zonic’s, Zhadow felt as though he had two left feet. He was a bit clumsy in his moves but quickly caught on. It was a strange thing, but it wasn’t anything to hate. He couldn’t help but turn to the others in case someone was laughing, he hated to admit he was a little self-conscious. Still, Zonic seemed to be looking somewhat better, as they could both look like idiots, so maybe this wasn’t so bad. [/color]\n\n[color=#204a87]As they entered the dancefloor, Zhadow's warm hand in his own, he felt the music seep into his skin, muscles, bones until he felt like he was caught in it completely. The first few moments were a little awkward, sure. He tried to figure out how to move his body to the music. Zhadow being equally inexperienced helped him a great deal, honestly.\n\n\"Nobody's looking. And it's a first for me, too.\" He grinned and closed his eyes for a minute. The beat was heavy and slow. Somehow after a moment his body started to move automatically. He could feel the music. As if it were strings connected to his arms and legs. This. This could actually be fun. He opened his eyes again, having found into the rhythm made everything easier. What did it matter if he was a good dancer. This was about letting loose, right? This was about stopping to think, not thinking more.\n\nZhadow was a clumsy dancer, he nearly stepped on his feet a few times, making Zonic chuckle. \"How are you worse at this than me...\" He grinned, and without a second thought he wrapped his arms around Zhadow's neck, mimicking the other dancers on the floor. He wasn't too close to the other hedgehog, there was still space between their bodies. A space that he wasn't nearly drunk enough to close yet.\n\nHe was just glad to feel another person's warmth. Another person that was -not- necessarily a green hedgehog who desperately insisted on being straight. No. Even though they felt similar Zhadow was different. He had to look at the one he was dancing with just so he didn't forget that this was in fact an entirely different person. Zhadow was surprisingly nice. He'd felt a lot like the brooding and unfriendly type before, but now he was... nice. Calm. Exactly what Zonic needed.\n\n\"Sorry I've been told I'm a clingy drunk, I'll let go if this is too much.\" He said, just loudly enough to be heard over the music. Zonic worried. Him and Zhadow weren't exactly friends, so he was sure he was overstepping several boundaries right now. But still... it made him feel better. Maybe this night wouldn't be so bad after all. He could find some comfort in Zhadow and alcohol. He'd be fine. Until he got home at least. No. Stop. He had to stop thinking about it. Instead he closed his eyes again, focusing on the music as he moved his feet.[/color]\n\n[color=#a40000]He felt his cheeks flush for what felt like a moment. He blinked, watching their feet move. He was still somewhat confused how people mastered something such as this, but he was definitely getting the hang of it, somewhat. He laughed some, it was silly but it wasn’t bad at all, so he didn’t mind it too much. He was pretty bad, but Zonic seemed to have more of a hold on how to move around. It was … nice, seeing that their were both pretty different outside of work. He was still pretty quiet, allowing Zonic’s lead to take them from one spot to the next, circling around as the music muted all else. \n\nHe had to admit, he had never felt like this before. Mostly just doing something completely new to him and kind of enjoying it. His expression just read as someone being introduced to a concept they might like. He was trying, but not forcing it. His movements became more fluid, his care for what others would say or do about this began to disappear. \n\n“You’re fine.” He replied, turning to look into Zonic’s eyes. They were a nice shade of green… Hell, he was a nice shade of blue. He never gave it much thought, but considering where they were, he wondered if it was possible… nah. Zonic already stated he wasn’t here for -that-. Maybe dancing was all he needed. Still, the question begged at his mind, and maybe it was too early for this so he did his best to keep it to himself. As the song ended and switched up, Zhadow had to wait a second, trying to get used to the new sounds he was hearing. “I feel like I need to down another drink… Maybe I’m not loose enough to really ‘feel’ the music like everyone else here.” He chuckled. “Oh well I suppose, this is somewhat fun, just very confusing.” He squeezed Zonic’s hands without noticing, this felt a bit intimate.\n\nLetting go of the other, he stepped back, pointing to the bar, he just needed a little bit more. Suddenly feeling flustered over this was something he didn’t expect. He had an interest now, his distraction was pretty much set in stone. Grabbing his drink, he downed the rest of it, clearing his throat. \n\n“One more,” He said, pushing the cup towards the bartender. \n“Never thought I’d see you dance, Zhadow. A pretty interesting change of events. You goin home with him?” The bartender raised a brow, a knowing smile. \n\n“I’m not sure. He works in a different division than I do.. It might be awkward.” He looked to the side. “I’m considering.”[/color]\n[color=#204a87]\nZonic relaxed a little as he was told that holding onto the other was fine. And yes, dancing was fun. It was so fun in fact that he was genuinely disappointed as Zhadow left him to his own devices to get another drink.\n\nFor a moment he looked after the other. The three glasses of whiskey he'd drunken were in effect now. He stopped caring, slowly. Zhadow would come back, right? Yes he was pretty sure he would. So in the meantime he would just keep on dancing. And that he did. Occasionally he found himself so lost in the music that he had his eyes closed. Unfortunately having one's eyes closed came with the unwanted side effect of blindness. thus Zonic flinched as he ran into someone.\n\nHe turned around to apologize, except he was suddenly taken by the hand and pulled into a wolf's arms. \" Why're you all alone on the dancefloor cutie?\" The stranger crooned, wrapping one arm around Zonic's hip, his hand awfully close to Zonic's butt. Now he was a clingy drunk but he didn't know this person and he was clearly too close. \"I'm here with someone. He's just fetching a drink.\" He said, leaning back slightly. He wanted to go back to dancing, and he had the means to free himself with ease but he also didn't want to cause a scene.\n\n\"Don't be shy babe, it's just some harmless fun. Just dancing.\" The wolf tried to flirt at him again. This was probably the moment when Zonic understood very clearly that he was -not- in fact okay with doing anything with a complete stranger. He'd felt comfortable getting close to Zhadow. And he wanted to get close to...no. Taboo topic.\n\n\"Sorry I'm not interested.\" He said, a bit more firm this time, shaking the wolves hands off. \"That's a real shame.\" The wolf seemed to have given up. Zonic sighed in relief after the drunk man turned his attention to someone else.\n\nZonic looked after him skeptical before he started to dance again. Nope. He felt nothing. While Zhadow was comforting and Scourge was utterly confusing... the stranger made him feel nothing at all. That settled it.  Finding someone just for fun was out of the question. Not for the reason Scourge had prophesied however which... gave Zonic some peace of mind at least. People -were- interested. But he wasn't. Not in just anyone at least.\n\nHe looked up to his company for the night who still sat at the bar, chatting with the barkeeper.[/color]\n\n[color=#a40000]“You’re considering? That’s like a maybe. Yes, or no, boy?” The bartender couldn’t help it, anytime Zhadow found someone of interest, he was on the fence. Maybe it was something he was just very untrusting about but Zhadow didn’t just take -anyone- home. He had to have spoken to them sober for a least a while to spark an interest, and it wasn’t like he was very thrilled to bring a stranger home, as it always felt dangerous but he only did it in hopes of a nice night in bed. He was very picky, not very easy to get close to but Zonic had a bit of a head start. Being someone that also worked in a similar field, them seeing each other every so often yet only ever exchanging words if they had to tell the other about some case they were on. He was curious, someone like himself, hardworking with very little time for other people suddenly popped up on the night he decided to go out after a couple weeks of dealing with a very difficult gang to subdue. \n\nHe needed something to keep his mind off of the two dead comrades, something to keep him from spiraling into another pit of overtime. Zonic was at least… someone similar enough to where he was pretty much fine with the outcome, if it went his way. \n\n“I suppose a yes.” He said, seeing Zonic get hit on by a wolf. The exchange was pretty calm, though he was surprised the wolf was walking off. He almost missed his chance but he wouldn’t have minded. If Zonic chose to spend his night with someone else, it wouldn’t bother him at all. Still, it’d be a pretty disappointing loss. He would’ve just said a small hey to Zonic the next time they saw one another at the office. \n\n“Well, you better hurry. New faces get taken pretty quick. You need a refill or are you good?” Zhadow looked down at his cup and set it aside. \n\n“I’m alright, thank you. Saying my good byes now in case this goes well.” He casually saluted the bartender, going back to rejoin the blue hog and gently grabbed his hand. “You know, you can dance with whoever. I doubt anyone cares about commitment to a dance partner.” He didn’t want to assume, but seeing as they both went to the dancefloor together, maybe that’s why the wolf was rejected. He felt a little happy about that. “What are you plans for… later?”[/color]\n\n[color=#204a87]Zonic was relieved when Zhadow returned and grabbed his hand. \"I just didn't like him. And who is going to teach you how to dance if I abandon you now. I feel responsible.\" He chuckled, his mood was significantly better now than it had been earlier at the bar. He carefully pulled Zhadow closer, let go of his hand and loosely wrapped his arms around his shoulders again.\n\n\"My plan was to get drunk until I pass out. But I'm always open for suggestions.\" He grinned at his colleague, pulling him along to the music again. This was nice. This was what he needed. Much better than getting drunk. Not that he wasn't drunk. He was -definitely- at least tipsy. But as long as he could dance and talk normally all was good\n\nThen a strange thought occurred to him. This was a bar where people went to pick someone up for the night casually. This was the kind of place this was. His look shifted back to Zhadow and suddenly he cheeks and ears were on fire. Was Zhadow picking him up? Was this gonna happen? And more than that, was this okay? It was kind of the reason he'd come here originally but then he'd lost all confidence and decided to drink instead.\n\n\"What are -your- plans for later?\" He returned the question, looking to the side even though his face was still on fire. Hopefully the dim light would hide that well.\n\nIn his head there was a debate as hot as his cheeks. -If- Zhadow was picking him up right now, was he okay with this? Was he not? After all if he refused and then lost the bet he'd be left with absolutely nothing but unwanted memories and since he was pretty sure he was gonna lose. Yeah. Yeah he was okay with this. After all Scourge was the one who was being awful. He was just... distracting himself. Possibly preparing himself to have to listen to disgusting details of Scourge's hooker experience that he absolutely didn't want to hear. So for now... why not enjoy what he could. It was insanely flattering that someone like Zhadow even showed an interest in him. Hell if this didn't count as a massive confidence boost then he didn't know anymore.\n\nFirst though, he wasn't even sure if this was the case. Maybe Zhadow was just trying to make small talk... about as awkwardly as his dancing skills. He couldn't get ahead of himself.[/color]\n\n[center][b]TBC.[/b][/center]","writing_bbcode_parsed":"
CHAPTER XXIII


He hadn’t been here in awhile, as he was much too busy for this scene these past few weeks. Coming here was more of a getaway if anything else. Two dead bodies. Those goddamn idiots didn’t listen to orders and they ended up getting shot to hell. They were his comrades, people he spoke to, laughed with and even spent entire days with when he was off when usually he’d just go home and sleep. He wasn’t super affected by their deaths but it sat with him tonight. He raised a glass as the bartender refilled his drink.

“To them.” He said quietly and downed the drink with one smooth gulp. He’d lost track of time, the music and guys all around drowned out his thoughts with -some- success of keeping him distracted. It wasn’t the best but he felt comfortable. Seeing lively bodies bounce around, move in ways he’d never dream of doing. People like this didn’t know the life he had, the shit he’d seen. They were so carefree, and damn there beautiful in ways he couldn’t believe. He was very quiet about his interests, no one on his team really knew he was more into guys than girls, hell he probably never looked at a woman with the equal amount of lust he’d feel for a well toned man.

It was strange, as his most frequent partner and friend, Zouge, was probably the biggest eye candy in the precinct yet he felt nothing. She was an amazing agent and formidable ally, nothing more, nothing less. He sighed, she’d been there too. It hurt to see those bodies but they carried on. It had been nearly 48 hours since they discovered them but it still hurt. His mind was just a clusterfuck of things he didn’t need to think about. Zhadow wanted to have another glass, calling the bartender over and noticed a familiar shadow of blue.
Zonic was here? He didn’t think he’d -ever- see someone from his work. He couldn’t help but stare. From what he knew. Zonic was entirely married to his work, constantly serious in every situation, taking everything with heart. He was a great cop from what Zhadow knew, best in his section of the business. He never really gave the other much thought, but it was very nice to see a familiar face. He wasn’t sure if approaching the other was the best, as Zonic seemed… unsettled. He noticed that the other just looked so out of place. Maybe this was his first time.

“Grab him another glass of whatever he’s having.” Zhadow said to the bartender, “I don’t mind if you tell him who gave it to him, haha... “ It wasn’t a big deal, if they ended up talking, that’d be fine. He was curious but also a little on edge. In a gay bar of all places… but they somewhat knew each other so… a distraction.

Zonic looked up at the bartender in utter confusion as he was offered a second drink. "I didn't order another-" He started but the barkeeper just chuckled at him. "You've got a friend over there darling." he said pointing at Zhadow. Even without looking Zonic knew exactly who he was pointing at. Sure. The night could stand to get a little worse. Why not just expose his newly discovered sexual orientation to his workplace. And possibly get mocked by an elite agent while he was at it. His ears were drooping slightly but he looked up anyway.

Nodding at Zhadow as thanks for the drink. The drink he took a big sip of to battle his nervosity. He had to calm down. Zhadow wasn't a big talker. He wasn't gonna tell everyone at work that they'd met at a gay bar, right? For all he knew, nobody even knew that Zhadow came here. So weren't they in the same situation. And Zhadow clearly meant no harm, he even bought him a drink. Right. He was being overly anxious. After downing the rest of the first whiskey to feel a little more brave he Got up from his chair, the drink he'd been gifted in his hand.

His heart was pounding. Why was this so nerve wracking??? Maybe meeting someone he knew was a blessing. Maybe it'd be the perfect distraction. He could stop thinking about Scourge and instead focus on this evening. And who knew, it was possible that Zhadow talked more outside of work. After all Zonic had a few sides to him as well that his coworkers didn't know a thing about.

He sat on the chair next to Zhadow. Chaos, he was impressed that, in an establishment like this, the dark hedgehog wasn't being swarmed by people. "Thanks." He said, placing the drink on the table. "I... didn't expect to see a familiar face here." He was clinging to his glass for emotional support and glanced at the Hedgehog next to him. Yes. Just smalltalk. That had to be possible. No matter how awkward this was. "You come here often?"

The drink was received, a smile given back to the other and now back to his own thoughts. Zhadow didn’t really feel it was necessary to get up and talk to the other, as now… maybe it was best they didn’t talk. He went back to staring at his glass, sighing as he felt maybe it was time to go. It would’ve been interesting to talk to Zonic just to know what was up, but he was somewhat undecided now. It would be kind of weird to see the blue hedgehog at work, knowing he came to gay bars of all places. Maybe it was best they just… left this night ambiguous for the both of them.

Though that thought was thrown right out the window as the other appeared next to him just as he was digging for his wallet. How… strange. Zhadow settled back into his seat, hand out of his pocket with his wallet still sitting snug inside. He blinked, what a… cliche question. He began to chuckle, something he hadn’t done in a while now.

“I can’t tell if you’re just being funny… I mean.. I could ask you the same thing if my answer wasn’t ‘yes’.’ He felt a bit embarrassed by that, having a gay bar he frequented, but Zhadow never felt embarrassed over his sexuality in general, just the kind of vibe this place could give out. He was pretty happy with himself, really. “This is quite a first. You of all people, so dedicated to the job… out at a place like this. Though it is a pretty nice establishment. Not too much riff raff come around.” He sipped the last of his drink. Zhadow slowly felt more at peace with talking, it was keeping his mind busy so this wasn’t too big of a deal.

He ordered another glass, might as well since he might be staying a while. The look of the blue cop seemed… well very out of place. He was obviously nervous, which was something Zhadow didn’t think his comrade was even capable of.

“You don’t have to tell me why you’re here. You could easily just be here cause it’s the closest bar, maybe you’re looking for someone or… I don’t know, take your mind off things. Whatever the reason, it’s not my business unless you choose to tell me. So relax, I have no intention of letting the whole precinct know you came to a gay bar.”

Zonic felt his face heat up at the teasing. But Zhadow's last sentence finally got him to look at the other. With wide eyes and a genuinely surprised expression. "So you -do- talk more out of job.... thanks." He took another sip of the whiskey. "To be... completely honest... I'm here to distract myself. For... reasons that I don't want to bore you with... I can't go home tonight. And I thought maybe I'll find some company here..." He mused, pushing the ice cubes in his drink around with one claw without actually touching the whiskey. At least until he realised what the things he'd just said sounded like.

"I mean. Not like -that-. I think... Chaos, I need to get drunk before I go insane." He whined, emptying the rest of the whiskey in one go. Zhadow wasn't going to tell anyone anything. He was gonna be fine. So what did it matter. He could just spend the whole evening being miserable if he wanted to. Who was going to stop him? He'd get drunk tonight until he couldn't remember his own name. And tomorrow he'd have an awful headache. Scourge would have won their bet and he'd go back to being a workaholic. And maybe he found people here who would take care of his newly discovered -other- needs.

...Well. In theory. Though by now he was pretty convinced that Scourge had been right. Again. And nobody would want him. He didn't know how to dress sexy or how to flirt. The only person he'd ever flirted with was the lady at the front desk at work so she'd share her doughnuts with him. Other than that he was married to his work. How was he supposed to know how all this worked. And he was on edge anyway because his mind kept drifting back to the beautiful white fox currently having sex with Scourge. Ah. There it was again. He paled slightly and the sick feeling returned. So he emptied the whiskey and raised his hand to call the bartender again. More. He wanted to stop thinking completely.

He looked over to the dancefloor. Everyone there was having so much fun. Moving to the bass heavy beat, grinding against each other. Chatting, laughing, kissing. There were couples in the corners being all lovey dovey too. Two of them were so into it they'd probably forgotten where they were. Zonic watched them for a moment. So carefree. No one here had a problem with being gay. Why in the multiverse was it so hard for Scourge?

Such a pained tone in Zonic’s voice, there was definitely a lot going on behind that struggling facade. Zhadow wasn’t one to pry, simply nodding along and taking whatever information he was given. He sought no reason to ask for more exposition, completely fine with being left in the dark over the details. He could echo the same back, here to distract himself, not really up to going home without having alcohol raid his mind blank. He couldn’t though, he had to drive back home, which he began to feel stupid for bringing it since he could easily -run- home. Though if he choose to get drunk, he’d be running pretty wildly.

“Don’t drink too much… I’ll have to drive you back home if you drown yourself in booze.” He turned to the other, watching his gulp down his glass. “Sorry to hear that though.” He wasn’t really sure what to say. Despite being slightly more talkative in a casual setting, Zhadow was still pretty quiet. He had no idea how to really push small talk into a deeper conversation. It just felt like something he’d have to force due to not usually being in these situations. So with that, he remained silent. His drink came, he sipped but felt no need to rush it. He had already had two glasses and only now did he feel the slight buzz. His alcohol tolerance was pretty high, so it wasn’t an issue to buy maybe one more if he felt it was necessary.

Seeing Zonic’s attention fall on others out on the dancefloor, he mused to himself the possibilities that could be going through the blue hog’s mind. Had he ever been to a gay bar before? Was this his first time or was he just finding a new place to chill at? Was he interested in dancing? Maybe someone caught his eye. The questions were very ‘whatever’ but he never thought to ask them all at once. Instead, he assumed this was a good conversation starter, though he hoped it wouldn’t toss the other into a stressed loop. If he needed a distraction, maybe they could help each other.

“Never understood how people could let loose under the influence… but I have a pretty high tolerance and… never go too far so I guess that’s something I’ve yet to experience. They all look so carefree. Kind of jealous.” He turned back to his drink. Such acts were never something he felt were a necessity when visiting a bar. Still, he envied the younger spirits these other men had. Envied that they could just live life with large smiles on their faces like that. He had just been too stuck in himself and his work to really give stuff like that a chance. He sounded like an old man, for sure.

Zonic was happy to turn his attention back to Zhadow. Chaos, part of him prayed the striped hedgehog would never stop talking just so he had something to focus on. "It's fine... I'll go home when I'm sober again. I'm in no rush." He shrugged and ordered his new drink. He knew he should be drinking more slowly but today he just couldn't care less.

"Heh..." He made quietly. "I don't have a very high tolerance. The influence of alcohol is really scary... you can kind of... lose yourself. Not that it changes who you are... it just... makes you care a lot less about what you do and say. And then you wake up and regret everything." He mumbled. Sipping his new drink once it arrived. Why was he talking about this. He should stop. This wasn't helping.

For a moment he closed his eyes, one foot tapping to the the music's beat. He felt like he could get lost in it. He'd never danced before and wondered if it was fun. "Tonight I just want to forget everything. Stop thinking." He raised his glass slightly, staring into the liquid for a minute before he looked at Zhadow again. His head was leaned into one hand while he basically scanned the hedgehog. "I've never danced before. Wanna dance?" He gave the other half a grin. He wanted to dance. Sure he had no idea how to move. But the music made his body move on its own anyway. So why not give it a try. What was the worst that could happen? Everyone on the dancefloor was so occupied with their partners or with themselves nobody would even notice how awful he was at this.

Before Zhadow could actually answer however, Zonic suddenly remembered who he was talking to. "Only if you want to. Originally I'm just here to get drunk. Having fun is optional." He shrugged. But then he couldn't deny he really wanted to try. If Zhadow didn't want to join him maybe he'd just drink until he was brave enough and then go by himself. Even the few huge guys on the dancefloor who were constantly dancing at others, grinding against them while doing so, didn't scare him.

He could do with some physical contact. "I'm definitely dancing." He decided and downed his third drink, shuddering after due to the bitter taste and the burning in his throat. He'd decided. "Coming along? I'm sure being a bit carefree for once would do wonders for both of us. As far as I hear you're about as married to your job as I am. And why would you come here if not to let loose."

Zhadow’s ear flinched at the mention of dancing. This was definitely something he knew nothing about, never in his life had he ever attempted to dance and he was less than ready to drink enough just to attempt it. He couldn’t even see himself standing up on the dancefloor just to be there, it was a foreign concept but the blue cop had a point. He came here to find some kind of distraction. His nights at the bar normally consisted of lots of alcohol, then going home. He, on occasion, had brought home a guy every blue moon but sex didn’t always happen. Sometimes the other was too drunk, other times he just didn’t feel it and talking was all they could accomplish. He had a lot of set ways of dealing with other people, though this came so unexpectedly.

The black and red hedgehog wasn’t afraid to try though, as he stood up once Zonic did, abandoning his drink with his hands in his pockets.

“I’ll have you know, I’m more than likely to just stand around as I’ve never done this before… But I suppose you do have a good point. I’ve yet to really let loose at all.” He looked at the dancefloor, seeing the other men move their bodies along with the music. Never his taste to be presented from the speakers, but he liked it enough to not mind it. Still, being musically moved was… somewhat hard. He tried to listen for the beat to give hima good starter, taking Zonic by the hand and turned to him. “You may want to lead me.. You probably do this better than I do since it -was- your idea.” He felt himself smirk a bit. This wasn’t so bad… Maybe it’d be one of those moments he could chuckle about some time later on.Whatever the cost, he wouldn’t feel much like a fool since the rest of the part-goers were very much stuck in their own world’s.

With his feet slowly moving along with Zonic’s, Zhadow felt as though he had two left feet. He was a bit clumsy in his moves but quickly caught on. It was a strange thing, but it wasn’t anything to hate. He couldn’t help but turn to the others in case someone was laughing, he hated to admit he was a little self-conscious. Still, Zonic seemed to be looking somewhat better, as they could both look like idiots, so maybe this wasn’t so bad.

As they entered the dancefloor, Zhadow's warm hand in his own, he felt the music seep into his skin, muscles, bones until he felt like he was caught in it completely. The first few moments were a little awkward, sure. He tried to figure out how to move his body to the music. Zhadow being equally inexperienced helped him a great deal, honestly.

"Nobody's looking. And it's a first for me, too." He grinned and closed his eyes for a minute. The beat was heavy and slow. Somehow after a moment his body started to move automatically. He could feel the music. As if it were strings connected to his arms and legs. This. This could actually be fun. He opened his eyes again, having found into the rhythm made everything easier. What did it matter if he was a good dancer. This was about letting loose, right? This was about stopping to think, not thinking more.

Zhadow was a clumsy dancer, he nearly stepped on his feet a few times, making Zonic chuckle. "How are you worse at this than me..." He grinned, and without a second thought he wrapped his arms around Zhadow's neck, mimicking the other dancers on the floor. He wasn't too close to the other hedgehog, there was still space between their bodies. A space that he wasn't nearly drunk enough to close yet.

He was just glad to feel another person's warmth. Another person that was -not- necessarily a green hedgehog who desperately insisted on being straight. No. Even though they felt similar Zhadow was different. He had to look at the one he was dancing with just so he didn't forget that this was in fact an entirely different person. Zhadow was surprisingly nice. He'd felt a lot like the brooding and unfriendly type before, but now he was... nice. Calm. Exactly what Zonic needed.

"Sorry I've been told I'm a clingy drunk, I'll let go if this is too much." He said, just loudly enough to be heard over the music. Zonic worried. Him and Zhadow weren't exactly friends, so he was sure he was overstepping several boundaries right now. But still... it made him feel better. Maybe this night wouldn't be so bad after all. He could find some comfort in Zhadow and alcohol. He'd be fine. Until he got home at least. No. Stop. He had to stop thinking about it. Instead he closed his eyes again, focusing on the music as he moved his feet.

He felt his cheeks flush for what felt like a moment. He blinked, watching their feet move. He was still somewhat confused how people mastered something such as this, but he was definitely getting the hang of it, somewhat. He laughed some, it was silly but it wasn’t bad at all, so he didn’t mind it too much. He was pretty bad, but Zonic seemed to have more of a hold on how to move around. It was … nice, seeing that their were both pretty different outside of work. He was still pretty quiet, allowing Zonic’s lead to take them from one spot to the next, circling around as the music muted all else.

He had to admit, he had never felt like this before. Mostly just doing something completely new to him and kind of enjoying it. His expression just read as someone being introduced to a concept they might like. He was trying, but not forcing it. His movements became more fluid, his care for what others would say or do about this began to disappear.

“You’re fine.” He replied, turning to look into Zonic’s eyes. They were a nice shade of green… Hell, he was a nice shade of blue. He never gave it much thought, but considering where they were, he wondered if it was possible… nah. Zonic already stated he wasn’t here for -that-. Maybe dancing was all he needed. Still, the question begged at his mind, and maybe it was too early for this so he did his best to keep it to himself. As the song ended and switched up, Zhadow had to wait a second, trying to get used to the new sounds he was hearing. “I feel like I need to down another drink… Maybe I’m not loose enough to really ‘feel’ the music like everyone else here.” He chuckled. “Oh well I suppose, this is somewhat fun, just very confusing.” He squeezed Zonic’s hands without noticing, this felt a bit intimate.

Letting go of the other, he stepped back, pointing to the bar, he just needed a little bit more. Suddenly feeling flustered over this was something he didn’t expect. He had an interest now, his distraction was pretty much set in stone. Grabbing his drink, he downed the rest of it, clearing his throat.

“One more,” He said, pushing the cup towards the bartender.
“Never thought I’d see you dance, Zhadow. A pretty interesting change of events. You goin home with him?” The bartender raised a brow, a knowing smile.

“I’m not sure. He works in a different division than I do.. It might be awkward.” He looked to the side. “I’m considering.”

Zonic relaxed a little as he was told that holding onto the other was fine. And yes, dancing was fun. It was so fun in fact that he was genuinely disappointed as Zhadow left him to his own devices to get another drink.

For a moment he looked after the other. The three glasses of whiskey he'd drunken were in effect now. He stopped caring, slowly. Zhadow would come back, right? Yes he was pretty sure he would. So in the meantime he would just keep on dancing. And that he did. Occasionally he found himself so lost in the music that he had his eyes closed. Unfortunately having one's eyes closed came with the unwanted side effect of blindness. thus Zonic flinched as he ran into someone.

He turned around to apologize, except he was suddenly taken by the hand and pulled into a wolf's arms. " Why're you all alone on the dancefloor cutie?" The stranger crooned, wrapping one arm around Zonic's hip, his hand awfully close to Zonic's butt. Now he was a clingy drunk but he didn't know this person and he was clearly too close. "I'm here with someone. He's just fetching a drink." He said, leaning back slightly. He wanted to go back to dancing, and he had the means to free himself with ease but he also didn't want to cause a scene.

"Don't be shy babe, it's just some harmless fun. Just dancing." The wolf tried to flirt at him again. This was probably the moment when Zonic understood very clearly that he was -not- in fact okay with doing anything with a complete stranger. He'd felt comfortable getting close to Zhadow. And he wanted to get close to...no. Taboo topic.

"Sorry I'm not interested." He said, a bit more firm this time, shaking the wolves hands off. "That's a real shame." The wolf seemed to have given up. Zonic sighed in relief after the drunk man turned his attention to someone else.

Zonic looked after him skeptical before he started to dance again. Nope. He felt nothing. While Zhadow was comforting and Scourge was utterly confusing... the stranger made him feel nothing at all. That settled it.  Finding someone just for fun was out of the question. Not for the reason Scourge had prophesied however which... gave Zonic some peace of mind at least. People -were- interested. But he wasn't. Not in just anyone at least.

He looked up to his company for the night who still sat at the bar, chatting with the barkeeper.

“You’re considering? That’s like a maybe. Yes, or no, boy?” The bartender couldn’t help it, anytime Zhadow found someone of interest, he was on the fence. Maybe it was something he was just very untrusting about but Zhadow didn’t just take -anyone- home. He had to have spoken to them sober for a least a while to spark an interest, and it wasn’t like he was very thrilled to bring a stranger home, as it always felt dangerous but he only did it in hopes of a nice night in bed. He was very picky, not very easy to get close to but Zonic had a bit of a head start. Being someone that also worked in a similar field, them seeing each other every so often yet only ever exchanging words if they had to tell the other about some case they were on. He was curious, someone like himself, hardworking with very little time for other people suddenly popped up on the night he decided to go out after a couple weeks of dealing with a very difficult gang to subdue.

He needed something to keep his mind off of the two dead comrades, something to keep him from spiraling into another pit of overtime. Zonic was at least… someone similar enough to where he was pretty much fine with the outcome, if it went his way.

“I suppose a yes.” He said, seeing Zonic get hit on by a wolf. The exchange was pretty calm, though he was surprised the wolf was walking off. He almost missed his chance but he wouldn’t have minded. If Zonic chose to spend his night with someone else, it wouldn’t bother him at all. Still, it’d be a pretty disappointing loss. He would’ve just said a small hey to Zonic the next time they saw one another at the office.

“Well, you better hurry. New faces get taken pretty quick. You need a refill or are you good?” Zhadow looked down at his cup and set it aside.

“I’m alright, thank you. Saying my good byes now in case this goes well.” He casually saluted the bartender, going back to rejoin the blue hog and gently grabbed his hand. “You know, you can dance with whoever. I doubt anyone cares about commitment to a dance partner.” He didn’t want to assume, but seeing as they both went to the dancefloor together, maybe that’s why the wolf was rejected. He felt a little happy about that. “What are you plans for… later?”

Zonic was relieved when Zhadow returned and grabbed his hand. "I just didn't like him. And who is going to teach you how to dance if I abandon you now. I feel responsible." He chuckled, his mood was significantly better now than it had been earlier at the bar. He carefully pulled Zhadow closer, let go of his hand and loosely wrapped his arms around his shoulders again.

"My plan was to get drunk until I pass out. But I'm always open for suggestions." He grinned at his colleague, pulling him along to the music again. This was nice. This was what he needed. Much better than getting drunk. Not that he wasn't drunk. He was -definitely- at least tipsy. But as long as he could dance and talk normally all was good

Then a strange thought occurred to him. This was a bar where people went to pick someone up for the night casually. This was the kind of place this was. His look shifted back to Zhadow and suddenly he cheeks and ears were on fire. Was Zhadow picking him up? Was this gonna happen? And more than that, was this okay? It was kind of the reason he'd come here originally but then he'd lost all confidence and decided to drink instead.

"What are -your- plans for later?" He returned the question, looking to the side even though his face was still on fire. Hopefully the dim light would hide that well.

In his head there was a debate as hot as his cheeks. -If- Zhadow was picking him up right now, was he okay with this? Was he not? After all if he refused and then lost the bet he'd be left with absolutely nothing but unwanted memories and since he was pretty sure he was gonna lose. Yeah. Yeah he was okay with this. After all Scourge was the one who was being awful. He was just... distracting himself. Possibly preparing himself to have to listen to disgusting details of Scourge's hooker experience that he absolutely didn't want to hear. So for now... why not enjoy what he could. It was insanely flattering that someone like Zhadow even showed an interest in him. Hell if this didn't count as a massive confidence boost then he didn't know anymore.

First though, he wasn't even sure if this was the case. Maybe Zhadow was just trying to make small talk... about as awkwardly as his dancing skills. He couldn't get ahead of himself.

TBC.
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