Just Ignore It

Chapter 4


Shocked would be putting it mildly, stunned into silence, flabbergasted, dumbfounded, all those didn’t even come close to describe how Matt felt right now. His mouth was open as if to say something, but no sound came out.

“Something wrong?” Matt heard Andrew ask behind him, jolting him out of his shock.

“Oh, uh… sorry, I’m Matt Whishing, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Matt said, pulling his hand back and feeling his cheeks redden slightly. Tobias grinned at him once again before taking his seat beside Mrs. Martin. Andrew moved to the other side of the table to sit across from Mrs. Martin, and motioned for Matt to sit beside him, which Matt did putting him right across from Tobias.

“I apologize for rushing you all into this meeting, but I wanted to get everything settled before the weekend.” Mrs. Martin said, “I hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience.”

Andrew smiled cordially, “Oh, not at all, unfortunately our lead programmer was called away for an emergency, but Matt here has spent a lot of time on this project, so he should be more than ready to answer any questions.”

Matt started when he heard his name, “H-huh? Oh, right, always happy to help.” He could feel his cheeks burn once again, and could tell he was getting an odd look from Andrew as well.

“Well then, why don’t we get started?” Andrew asked, opening up the laptop sitting in the middle of the table and pulling up the file of IDC’s website. Even after doing most of the programming on the website the only thing Matt knew about the company was that it was some sort of financial group, and hadn’t really cared to be anymore interested in it other than the coding. Though it seemed as if she liked it, when Andrew brought it up on the large screen located at one end of the conference room, Mrs. Martin ‘ooh’-ed and ‘ahh’-ed. Soon the two of them were discussing the website in more detail, only asking Matt a few questions about the workings of the website here and there. Which was good, because Matt wasn’t paying attention at all, still slightly shocked from suddenly meeting Tobias once again. Speaking of Tobias, Matt started to wonder why the other man was even here. He wasn’t really commenting on the website, just looking at the screen with mild interest, though he kept glancing at Matt every once in awhile, making him feel slightly uncomfortable.

“Alright, so is everything what you hoped it to be?” Andrew said, shutting down both the laptop and the large screen, breaking Matt out of his reverie.

“Oh, yes, everything looks wonderful.” Mrs. Marin said, standing up. She looked down at her watch and frowned slightly, “Well, it’s a little too late for us to do anything with the site now, but if you could send the files over on Monday, we’ll be able to have our tech guys get it up and running online.”

“That’ll be no problem at all, glad to see you’re happy with it.” Andrew stood up and reached across to shake Mrs. Martin hand. Realizing the meeting was ending, Matt jumped up as well and shook Mrs. Martin’s hand when she offered it, before tentatively shaking Tobias’s hand as well.

“Sorry once again for dragging all of you in here on such short notice.”

“Like I said, don’t worry about.” Andrew showed Mrs. Martin and Tobias out of the conference room, continuing to say goodbye. Matt hung back in the conference room, not sure of what to do, should he try to talk to Tobias, he had told Sara that he wouldn’t care if he didn’t meet the guy again, but still…

“Something wrong, Mr. Whishing?” he heard Andrew’s voice from the doorway, interrupting his thoughts once again that day. Matt shook his head, “N-no, just kind of tired is all.”

“Alright, well, thanks for helping out in the meeting, and sorry for keeping you after work. You were a great help.” Matt scoffed inwardly at the compliment; he wasn’t even paying attention half the time. “It’s no problem. Well, I guess I should get going. See you later, Andrew.”

Matt headed out of the conference room, but Tobias wasn’t in sight, not that he was looking for him anyway. He started back towards his office and met Sara along the way, “You’re still here? I figured you would have headed out already.” He asked, glancing around for a clock, since he never really made it a practice to wear a watch.

“It’s only a little after five.” She answered with a shrug, falling instep with Matt, “So how’d the meeting go?”

“O-oh, it was alright. I was the only one not in a suit, but other than that it was fine.” Matt said, though the first thing he thought of was Tobias, and had almost blurted it out. But he knew that if he told Sara he had seen the other man, that’d she bug him about it, saying he should of asked the other out or something.

“You’re hiding something.” He heard her say suspiciously, and Matt didn’t need to look over to know she was watching him shrewdly.

“Yep, I probably am, but I’m not going to tell you.” Matt said, now entering his small office to begin shutting everything down to leave. He could hear her sigh and lean against the doorframe, though he knew she was still trying to figure out what he was hiding. Sara knew him too well to try to keep asking questions, instead waiting for him to slip up somewhere, which he inevitably always did.

Matt heard her sigh dramatically once again and rolled his eyes slightly, even though she couldn’t see him. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw her suddenly straighten up, looking out the door and down the hall. “Hm, could that be what you’re hiding?” She asked, smirking at him slightly before returning her gaze to the hallway. Matt felt his stomach do a little bit of a flip; surely it wasn’t him, right? He walked over to the doorway and looked the same way Sara was, down the hallway they had just come from.

“Oh, shi-“ Matt mumbled, ducking back into his office, quickly gathering his jacket and doing a mental checklist to make sure he had everything.

“Ah, so that is what you were hiding, is there a reason why you suddenly look like a scared little bunny?” Sara asked, give him a quizzical, and amused, look.

Matt frowned at the bunny remark, “No, its just- I don’t know… Just tell me when he gets close.” Matt muttered, searching his desk for the cell phone that was missing from his jacket pocket. He started shoving papers aside, becoming more desperate in his search until he turned and almost ran into his phone, which was being held by the same white-haired, blue-eyed man that he was trying to avoid.

“He’s close.” Matt heard from the doorway and frowned at Sara, who was smiling innocently at him.

“Trying to avoid me, Matthew?” Tobias asked, moving to hand Matt his phone, he voice carried a slightly hurt tone, but when Matt glanced back up at him, he still had that cocky smile on his face. Matt reached up to grab his phone, only to have it pulled up, out of his reach. “Could I have my phone back, please?” He asked in a dull tone.

“Hmm, not until you give me a good reason why you were trying to avoid me.” Tobias said, still holding the phone good four inches out of Matt’s reach and looking at Matt in a way that made him feel he was some sort of prey to the taller man.

“I-I’m… not sure….” Matt said quietly, looking away and really wishing Sara would stop watching from the doorway. As if hearing his thoughts Matt noticed the door closing as Sara left them alone. He glanced back up to see Tobias giving him a thoughtful look, before looking up at his phone and starting to play with Matt’s phone as if trying to determine something. Matt looked back down, feeling more uncomfortable by the moment when Tobias finally spoke up.

“Well… that’s not really all that good of an answer… So, how about a trade? Your phone for a date.”

“Wh-what?” Matt looked back up at Tobias to find him once more grinning at him.

“You heard me, one date for your cell phone. I think that’s a reasonable offer.” Tobias leaned down slightly, so he was now face-to-face with Matt, though still kept the cell phone out of the others reach. Blushing slightly at the close proximity, Matt looked away yet again, “I… uh, I-” he stuttered out. He felt Tobias’s hand lightly grab his chin, forcing him to look back into the other’s ice blue eyes. “Well?”

Matt swallowed slightly before nodding in response. Tobias flashed him a grin before quickly pressing a kiss to his lips and pulling away. “Great, let’s get going.” He said, walking over to open the door, “You coming?” Tobias asked, noticing Matt still hadn’t moved.

“O-oh, yeah.” Matt muttered, turning to follow Tobias out. The man smiled once again and opened the door to find himself face-to-face with Sara. She glanced at, what Matt assumed, was Tobias’s still grinning face, before looking at Matt. “What’s going on?”

“I’m taking Matthew here on a date, so if you don’t mind, we’ll be leaving.” Tobias said, making a move to get around Sara, but she didn’t move, “Really? Well, then I have one thing to say then I’ll let you two get on with your date.” Tobias paused and looked at Sara, “Yes, what is-” *smack*

Tobias pulled back, bringing a hand up to his cheek where Sara had slapped him. Matt just stood there with his mouth agape, not believing what she had just done. But Sara wasn’t done, now pointing accusingly at Tobias, hand on her hip, and looking sternly up at the man, “Don’t you dare disappear like you did the first time and leave Matt here all high and dry again, because I will hunt you down, and I will make you apologize to him.” Matt felt his face burn red, wanting to tell Sara to just be quiet but his voice wasn’t cooperating. Tobias turned back to look at him, mirth dancing in his eyes, “Well, I apologize Matthew, for leaving you… high and dry last time, and I promise not to do it again.”

If it was any possible Matt’s face burnt even hotter, now stammering slightly, though not sure what exactly he was trying to say. Flashing him a smile, Tobias turned back around to face Sara, “And I promise to you not repeat my mistake, giving you full permission to punish me however you see fit if I do anything… unsavory.”

Sara nodded and stepped aside; letting the two men leave the office. Tobias reached back and grabbed Matt’s hand pulling him out of the room, which was a good thing because Matt felt rooted on the spot from the sheer embarrassment of the situation. When Tobias pulled him past Sara she just smiled at him, “Have fun you two.” She crooned after them.

“Will do!” Tobias called back to her, still dragging Matt behind him, who could only wave goodbye before getting pulled around the corner, down the stairs to the front lobby, and outside. Finally Matt was able to reclaim his hand, rotating his shoulder and glaring at Tobias. “You didn’t have to drag me the entire way.”

“I apologize, I just wanted to get you all to myself as soon as possible.” Tobias said, turning to grin down at Matt, who gave him a weary gaze. “You better not think that I’m just going to leap into bed with you right away, I’m not like that.” ‘Usually’ his mind added afterwards, thinking back to their first ‘meeting’.

But Tobias gave him an odd look, he almost looked… upset at Matt’s statement, “No, of course not. I fully intend to give you a traditional date, before returning you back to your home with all morals and clothes intact.” He finished with a grin before turning to walk down the street. “Since it’s after five, how does dinner sound?”

Matt hesitated awhile before following Tobias. “Sure, sounds good.”

“Do you mind if we take my car? I can bring you back afterwards to get yours if you want to.” Tobias asked, pausing to let Matt catch up.

“Oh, uh… Don’t worry about that, I don’t drive to work.”

“Ah, well, I guess it works out then.” Tobias said with a grin, before pausing in front of a dark car. “Here we are.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Matt muttered, looking over the car. It was… beautiful. And expensive. The car’s blackness seemed to shine and accentuate every curve and line of the car. If there was ever a car to describe as sexy, this was it. Hell, the car was just pure sex, oozing it from every detail.

“Nope, not kidding.” Tobias said, unlocking it with a remote before climbing crossing over to slide in on the passenger side. He rolled down the passenger side window and leaned over to look at Matt, who was still standing on the sidewalk, “Are you coming?”

Matt nodded numbly before opening the door and sitting down, taking in the sleek interior that fitted so well with the outside. “Y-you own a 911 GT3 Porsche?” he asked in a stunned voice.

“You know your cars.” Tobias said, buckling his seat belt, frowning slightly when he realized Matt still hadn’t buckled his. Sighing, he undid his own seat belt to reach across Matt and buckle his, stealing a light kiss as he did so.

Tobias sat back in his seat, once again buckled his seat belt before turning on the car and pulling out into traffic once it was clear. “So where did you learn so much about cars?” He asked, shooting a quick glance at Matt.

“Wh-what?” Matt asked, finally coming out of the state shock, a bright blush over both cheeks. “Oh, m-my dad’s into all kinds of cars, I picked it up from him.” He muttered.

“So, he’s a mechanic I’m guessing?” Tobias asked, Matt nodded in response, then realizing Tobias probably didn’t see it answered him, “Yeah, he’s actually an airplane mechanic, but he likes messing around with all kinds of machines. Before we go any further, I need to ask you a question.” Matt said, turning to look at Tobias, suddenly seeming serious. Tobias shot him a curious look at the sudden change in tone, “What is it?”

“You’ve got a pretty nice car, but do you deserve it?” Matt asked, sitting back in the seat again and looking at Tobias out of the corner of his eye. Tobias kept glancing at Matt, intrigued with his sudden change in demeanor. “Do I deserve it? How do you mean?”

“Well, do you actually drive the car like its supposed to be, or do you drive like an 80 year old lady? Because if it’s that latter of the two, then you might as well hand the keys over now.” Matt said, now smirking at Tobias.

Tobias arched an eyebrow at Matt and returned the smirk, before suddenly downshifting the car and slamming on the gas. Matt gripped the side of the seat and the door handle as the car rocketed forward, sliding in and out of traffic effortlessly. After a few turns that had Matt’s stomach doing somersaults, they slid into a small parking lot before slowly pulling into an empty space.

“So, do I deserve this car?” Tobias asked, looking over at Matt, a smile playing on his lips, who only nodded numbly, still holding onto his seat and door in a death grip. “Y-yeah, you’re… you’re pretty good with your car….”

“Glad I passed inspection.” He grinned at Matt, “Though maybe I should let you take it out for a spin, make sure everything’s okay.” Matt looked over at him slightly stunned, before smirking and looking away, “For one, don’t even joke about that, this car is way too nice to just let someone ‘take out for a spin’ and two, I can’t drive it, not well at least… Uh, shouldn’t we get inside? Before the restaurant gets too busy?” Matt suddenly asked, changing the subject. Tobias nodded and slid out the car, while Matt got out on his side as well, turning to see Tobias shrugging off his jacket. He tossed into the back of the car, before pulling off his tie and slowly undoing the first few buttons of his shirt. Matt glanced up at his face at this point, to see Tobias watching him with a slight smile, making Matt realize that he was staring at the other man’s slight strip tease. He turned away, blushing wildly and stammered an apology. Hearing the driver’s door shut behind him Matt shut his own side before meeting Tobias on the other side.

“Just wondering, but why did you get rid of your tie and jacket?”

“I was feeling overdressed, figured a button down shirt and slacks would more match you.” Tobias replied, rolling up the long sleeves of his shirt as a bit as well.

“Oh, you didn’t have to…” Matt started but Tobias just waved it aside. “Don’t worry about it, it gets a little stuffy in those business suits anyways.” They started walking towards a small alleyway, Matt glanced at Tobias, but the white-haired man seemed to know where they were heading.

“So, why wouldn’t you be able to drive my car well?” Tobias asked out of the blue, obviously not going to let the topic drop.

“Ah, well… That’d be because I haven’t drove, well not a car at least, and not for a few years.”

“So what do you drive?” Tobias asked, “Or do you not drive at all?”

“No, I drive. Well, I ride actually.” When Tobias looked at him with a slightly surprised look, as well as a lewd smile, Matt quickly added, “A motorcycle, I ride a motorcycle. I own a motorcycle, actually.”

“Really? I wouldn’t have expected that from you.” Tobias said, stopping in front of an unadorned door partly down the alleyway. The only thing that would even hint that there’s actually some sort of restaurant behind it was the beat up, faded sign that said ‘Adelina’s’ in cursive font above the door.

“Are you sure this is right?”

Tobias nodded, “Of course. Why, don’t you trust me?” He asked, grinning down at Matt and opening the door before ushering him inside. Matt was… surprised, to say the least. The restaurant was completely different from the outside, clean and well taken care of, if on the small side, there were at most fifteen tables inside. And it screamed, ‘Take your date here’ with a candle and a small vase of flowers on every table, and the lights dimmed down. One of the things that surprised him the most though was that the restaurant wasn’t empty; actually almost every table was full.

The hostess greeted them as they walked in, asking how many before leading them to a small booth in a corner. “Your waitress will be with you in a moment.” She said with a smile, placing menus in front of them, she winked at Matt before walking off. Confused, Matt watched her as she walked back to the front of the restaurant, turning back when Tobias cleared his throat. “Something wrong?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, uh… no. Umm, does the hostess know you… or something?”

“I’ve been in here a few times before, why do you ask?”

“Ah, just wondering.” Matt said, looking down at the menu, and not being able to read a single word of it. He looked back up at Tobias with a confused look, “Umm, this menu… I can’t read any of it.”

“Yes, well unless you knew Italian I suppose you wouldn’t. I hope you don’t mind, but this is truly one of the best Italian restaurants I know. Well at least on this side of the Atlantic.” Tobias said with a smile. “Though this does mean I’ll have to order for you…”

“Then I guess you better get the right thing, if you don’t want this date to go badly.” Matt returned with a smirk.

“Aw, no hints?”

“Nope.” Matt said still smirking. Their waitress arrived shortly afterward, and even though she could speak English, Tobias still ordered Matt’s meal, as well as a bottle of wine. “Are you planning on getting me drunk, Tobias?”

“Of course not, it’s just Italian food always tastes better with wine.” He said this with the ever-present smirk. “So, Matthew, you’re website programmer, that right?”

Matt nodded, “Yeah, and what about you, you’re a marketing representative for IDC? What exactly does that entitle?”

“Well, actually, I don’t work exclusively for IDC, I’m kind of an… intermediary between businesses and advertiser, like IDC and Real Design. I usually get contacted by someone in marketing about a job that they need to outsource to another company, and then set up an agreement between them and a design firm.”

“Soo… You’re kind of like an art-pimp?” Matt asked.

Tobias’s eyebrows rose before he started laughing, “Art-pimp, that is one I have not heard before…” he said before continuing to laugh, Matt grinned and looked down, barely holding in a laugh of his own. “Ah, there it is.”

Matt looked back up to find Tobias focused on him with a slight smile on his lips, “There what is?”

“A smile, first full smile I’ve seen since we met, actually. It lights up your face, especially your eyes. You should do it more often.” Tobias said, those ice blue eyes never wavering from Matt’s.

Okay, what do you say to that?

Face now burning, Matt looked to the side, then thanked any god that was listening when the waitress appeared with their food, breaking the silence that had fallen between the two men. She smiled at them both and set down the plates, “Is there anything else I can get you?” When they both declined she smiled once again, “Enjoy your meal.” She said before walking back towards the kitchen. Matt picked up his fork and looked down at his surprise dinner, which was some sort of chicken with spiral pasta and white sauce. Experimentally he tried some of the pasta, and moaned a bit at the taste before blushing when he heard the chuckle across the table.

“Good, I take it?”

Still blushing, Matt swallowed his food and nodded. They continued on with their meal in silence before awhile, and now that he wasn’t shocked out of his mind like he was in the meeting, Matt started to truly look at the other man. He could now see that Tobias had some sort of oriental background, though if Matt hadn’t known the man’s last name it probably would’ve taken him much longer to notice. While his face had a slightly oval shape, the biggest hint was his eyes, in spite of the bright blue they had the shape of what he assumed was Japanese, or maybe Chinese. He wasn’t too sure though, and had thought he heard somewhere that was a deep insult to get it wrong, so decided not to ask. But there was one thing that was still puzzling him, and he couldn’t come up with an answer, finally blurting out, “Why’s your hair white?”

Tobias paused in his own eating to look up at Matt, an amused expression on his face. “Uh, I-I mean, I was just… uh..” Matt tried to come up with an answer to his sudden exclamation, but his mind was drawing a blank.

“I was wondering if you were going to ask that, and honestly, I don’t have a definitive answer for you except to ask you why your hair is brown.”

“Um, I was born with it?”

“Exactly.” Tobias said, smiling, “Same reason why mine’s white, I was born with it.”

“That’s it? You’re just born with it, no complex medical background or anything like that?” Matt asked skeptically, but Tobias just chuckled a bit, “No, sorry, no complex medical history at all, just my hair has always been white, since the day I was born. Why? Are you disappointed?”

“What, no I’m not disappointed, just surprised I guess, that is a unique hair color for anyone under the age of 50.”

“Well I can guarantee you that I am not 50 years old,” Tobias said with another chuckle.

“So how old are you then?”

“26, and you?”

“Oh, I’m 23.”

“Really?” Tobias asked, his surprise showing on his face.

“What, don’t believe me? Let me guess, you thought I was a lot younger, didn’t you?” Matt questioned, his tone almost daring Tobias to continue.

Tobias raised his hands almost in defense, quickly replying, “No, of course not. I’m actually surprised your so young, you look to be at least five years older than your actually age.”

Smirking slightly Matt ran a hand through his hair, “You don’t have to lie, I know I look young. Though thanks for trying to be nice, even if you were horrible at it.” He glanced back over at Tobias when he said this, but Tobias just shrugged in return with a smile playing on his lips, “Sorry, you got me.” Tobias then pointed to Matt’s shirt, “The shirt you’re wearing, that’s Ashes Divide isn’t it?”

Matt glanced down at the front of his shirt, and sure enough it was. “Yeah, oh and nice change of subject there, you were very subtle.”

“Why, thank you.” Tobias said this with mock seriousness, still with that small smile, “Now do you like bands with that kind of music, or is it just them?” Matt shrugged slightly, “I guess I like their kind of music. I don’t know, I’ve been known by my friends to have an eclectic taste in music. Though I usually stick to the rock, punk, and alternative area. How about you, what’s your tastes in music?”

“Ah, I’m more of a classical fan myself, there’s a few bands I am interested in, but the classics are always good.”

“Classics as in Mozart and Beethoven, or classics like Elvis?” Matt asked tentatively.

Tobias placed a hand over his heart, and said solemnly, “Mozart, I am sorry to say that the King does not hold much of place in my heart.” Matt chuckled a bit, “Alright, you redeemed yourself with that one. So, why the sudden reason in music tastes, besides to cover up your blunder from earlier.”

“Well, for the second part of our date of course.”

Surprised, Matt asked, “Second part, isn’t this it? Just the dinner, right?”

“Now, what kind of first date would this be if all I did was take you out to dinner.”

“I don’t know, a normal one?”

Tobias raised his eyebrow and smirked, “Well, I think we’ve already established that I am not normal, and anyways, I think you’ll enjoy it. The band has an odd sound, I was debating about going before our impromptu date, but since it seems you might be into that kind of music I figured we could go to their concert.”

“Alright, but this band better be damn good, or it’ll be on your head.” Matt said pointing an accusing finger at Tobias, who raised his hands in an ‘I surrender’ position, chuckling slightly. They continued their dinner for a little while, though by now the once hot food had cooled greatly during they’re extensive talk. After a few more bites of cold pasta Matt set down his fork, instead opting for his water.

“It is a tad cold, isn’t it?” Tobias asked, setting his own fork down as well. He glanced at his watch, “The concert starts in a little over an hour. It’s a bit of a walk, but we could head that way now, since the bar that it’s at always fills up fast being early might be a good thing.” Matt nodded in agreement and Tobias waved down their waitress.

When she headed over Tobias asked her for the check, explaining that they needed to get going. “Oh, will this on one check or two?” She asked politely. Tobias replied with ‘one’ at the same time Matt replied with ‘two’. The waitress smiled a bit as Tobias and Matt looked at each other, before Tobias turned back to the waitress, “One check, please.” The waitress nodded before walking away, still trying to stifle the smile. Matt opened his mouth to protest but Tobias cut him off, “I was the one who asked you on this date, so it only makes sense that I’d pay for the meal.”

Matt sighed, slumped back in his chair, picking up his glass of water as he did so. He gestured at Tobias with the glass; “Fine, just don’t expect this to be a running trend for our dates.” But Tobias smiled, “Oh, so are you saying you would like to go on future dates?” Matt choked on the drink of water he had just taken, struggling to get it down. “M-maybe, I’m not so sure, though if I die choking on water then there can’t really be anymore dates, period.” Matt finally managed to say glaring slightly at Tobias. At this point the waitress returned, handing Tobias the bill and wishing them both a good evening.

“Ready to go?” Tobias asked, Matt nodded and they both stood up. Matt waited while Tobias fished out the required bills from his wallet to pay for dinner and the tip, before they both headed for the door. Night had fully fallen while they were in the restaurant, and the once warm day was now chilly. Pulling his arms around himself to keep warm, Matt asked, “So how far is this bar anyway?”

“A few blocks. You’re not too cold, are you?” Tobias asked, but before Matt could answer he turned and headed for where they had parked his car, “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

“O-okay.” Was all Matt could get out before Tobias disappeared around the corner. He turned to look around the small street, which was almost completely empty, only one or two people on foot and no cars at all, giving the street a quaint, almost sleepy feel. He rubbed his arms briskly in an attempt to warm up a bit, Matt hadn’t wanted to admit it to Tobias, but it was pretty cold out here. And speaking of Tobias, Matt jumped as two arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him back into the other’s chest.

“Better?” Tobias asked from behind him, speaking right into his ear. Matt nodded numbly at the sudden warmth, having to bite back the moan from the loss when Tobias pulled away. He was confused for a second before he realized Tobias was asking about the jacket that he had draped over Matt’s shoulders, not the embrace.

“Th-thanks.” Matt pulled the coat on properly, frowning slightly once he had and found the sleeves about four inches too long and the bottom hanging much lower than it should. “I feel like a girl…” He mumbled, hearing Tobias laugh lightly before wrapping an arm around Matt’s waist again, “Trust me, you look nothing like a girl, though sexy does come to mind.” Matt glared up at Tobias, though it was ruined by the redness spreading through his cheeks. “So, where is this club again?”

Nodding towards one end of the street, Tobias responded with, “About two or three blocks this way.” He then lightly steered Matt down the street. As they headed down the quiet street the two men fell into a comfortable silence, during which Matt was finally able to calm down enough that his face wasn’t in a constant state of red flame. Speaking of that damned blush it was actually aggravating Matt to no end, and while he was known to become embarrassed and flustered quickly, never had it been this easily or this frequent before. Matt sighed slightly and slid his hands into his pockets, before unconsciously leaning into Tobias’ body a little more.

“The bar is right up here.” Tobias’ amused voice brought Matt out of his silent reverie. He glanced around for a sign of this ‘bar’ but found none, no neon beer signs, no pulsing music that was becoming frequent at many bars around, in fact, he didn’t see anything at all that looked remotely like a business. He shot a confused glance up at Tobias before looking around again. “It’s over here.” Tobias said, correctly figuring out Matt’s confusion and leading them over to a flight of stairs leading into the basement of what looked like an apartment building of some sort.

“This is it?” Matt asked with a bit of doubt, but Tobias just nodded with a smile again. “So, do you just go into random unmarked doors in odd areas to see if there’s some hidden business behind it or something? Because I see no other way to even guess what our ‘date spots’ have been tonight before we enter them.”

“There’s ways to tell what they are, see?” Tobias pointed to a small sign next to the ‘bar’s’ door, which said ‘Dent’s Bar’ in faded letters, much like that of the restaurant’s. But when Matt shot him a deadpan look he finally conceded, “Alright, I have a few client’s that live in this area, and we’ve met at a few small restaurant’s in this area, that’s how I know of these two.”

Keeping his deadpan stare, Matt kept pressing, “So basically, a client asks to meet you for lunch in a strange bar or restaurant that looks like it’s being ran out of someone’s basement, literally” he gestured at the apartment/bar ahead of them, “and to ignore the fact that all these places look like your going to be mugged and/or gang-banged the minute you step inside.” Tobias blinked a couple times in surprise before bursting out in laughter. “You have some of the strangest ways of putting things, Matthew.” He managed to say when the laughter had subsided a bit. “And while my clients don’t quite phrase it the same way you just did, they do warn me that the places we meet are not exactly what they seem from the outside.”

“Not exactly, that’s a very vague way to put it. So, are we going to inside at some point, or just stand out here and talk about it?” Matt asked, wrapping his arms around himself again when a gust of wind blew around them. Tobias smiled down at Matt before heading towards the door, bringing Matt with him. Once inside the two men were assaulted with darkness before their eyes adjusted to the rather dim light in the bar.

“I.D. please.” Came the gruff voice of door bouncer just a few feet from the door. Tobias finally released Matt’s waist to fish out his wallet and license. Matt followed suit, frowning slightly when the bouncer looked at his license for at least twice at long as he had Tobias’ before handing it back. “Alright, go ahead.”

Tobias nodded to the bouncer before heading past him into the main part of the bar, Matt following behind looking around the quaint establishment as he did so. It reminded him of a jazz club, with a lit stage in a corner, tables arranged around the outer edge of the room, and soft music playing in the background. There was a small bar along the wall, with a few patrons and their drinks, but other than that the room was mostly empty. Though what surprised Matt about the bar was the height of the room, for it was actually two stories with the second story was more like a balcony. He could see a small staircase a few feet from the stage, winding tightly up to the balcony. Tobias reached behind him and grasped Matt’s hand, directing him over to the small staircase and upwards onto the balcony. “There’s a great spot over here to see the stage, a lot better than standing downstairs.” Tobias explained continuing to lead him to around the balcony, which was bigger than what it seemed from the floor with tables lining the walls and room to spare for people to stand along the handrails if they wanted. Eventually they got to the destination Tobias had in mind, a table along the wall that was directly opposite of the stage. “Here we are,” he said as they rounded the table, both sitting along the wall to give them a good view of the stage.

Before Matt knew it, Tobias had once again wrapped an arm around Matt, this time around his shoulders, pulling them closer together. Matt glanced over at him, once again cursing the blush that was forming along his cheeks from the intimate contact. “You’re a very touchy feely type of person, aren’t you?” He asked Tobias who smiled in response, “Only when I think the person deserves the attention.” Matt was about to reply when the sudden whine of a guitar tuning interrupted him.

“Oh, looks like the intro bands are beginning to warm up.” Tobias said, and sure enough, there were a few people on the stage now, hooking up wires and setting up the drum set. Not only that, but the bar was filling up, people taking seats the empty seats at the bar as well as the tables, and even a few taking their place in front of the stage. “It’s starting so quickly? It hasn’t been an hour already, has it?” Matt asked, looking back at Tobias. Tobias raised his arm to examine his watch, “It’s been about a half hour or so, maybe they’re trying to actually start on time tonight.” He then stood up and turned back to look at Matt, “Before it gets too busy in here I was going to get myself a drink, would you like something? My treat of course.”

“Um, mayb- ah, no nevermind.” Matt said, changing his mind suddenly. But Tobias had noticed the change, “Is there something you’d like?” Matt shook his head no, though the other wasn’t convinced, “Are you sure?” Another shake of the head. “You know, I’m not going to make fun of you if its not some manly drink like beer or whiskey.” This time Matt flushed, “You swear?”

“On my honor as a boy scout.” Tobias said, raising a hand in the Boy Scout pose. Matt smirked at the thought of Tobias as a boy scout before finally asking, “Umm, an Amaretto sour?” Tobias’ eyebrows raised in surprise before he smiled again, “Amaretto sour, coming right up.” He turned once again and headed around the balcony, towards the bar. Matt leaned back into his chair, relaxing a bit now that he was away from the white haired man. Not that he was uncomfortable in Tobias’ presence, just the constant way the other man looked at him and the way he spoke, it always seemed to carry a sexual edge to it. He closed his eyes and focused on the soft music that head been increasing in volume over the past few minutes, probably to make the switch over to the bands less shocking to the eardrums. The music was nice, fitting the taste of the rest of the bar with its jazz sound. He stayed like this for a few minutes before feeling a sudden coldness press against his cheek.

“Ah!” He jumped forward, shocked fully back into reality to be greeted by the damn smiling face and ice blue eyes. “Here’s your drink.” Tobias said, settling himself beside Matt once more and setting his drink on the table. Matt rubbed the assaulted cheek, trying to bring feeling back into it, “That was just mean.” Tobias chuckled, taking a sip of his drink, still with that damn smile. Matt reached forward and grabbed his drink, jumping again when Tobias wrapped his arm around Matt’s waist. “I would really wish you would quit surprising me like that.” Matt hissed at Tobias, just barely refraining from toppling his drink. Though instead of apologizing Tobias just pulled Matt back so he was resting against Tobias.

“Tobias, what the…” Was all Matt got out before Tobias turned his head and captured his mouth in a kiss, quickly running his tongue along Matt’s lips in silent permission. But Matt was hesitant to give in, knowing that even if they’re corner was slightly secluded, they were still in the middle of a bar. He felt the glass get pulled from his hands before being turned to face Tobias more fully. Finally Tobias released his mouth, running kisses along his jaw line and down his neck. “Tobias… stop…” Matt protested weakly, pressing against the other’s chest. “Why?” He heard the other breath against his neck, before continuing the kisses against Matt’s neck.

“Because we’re in a public place, that’s why.” Matt hissed, but Tobias just continued his actions, only pausing to mutter, “No one else is up here yet, and I’m not planning on going that far.” Before moving back up to Matt’s mouth once again, this time pleased to see he met with no resistance when he ran his tongue against the smaller male’s mouth. Matt could feel the arm around his waist tighten while a hand came up to support the back of his neck, and returned the gesture, bring both of his arms to encircle Tobias’ neck pulling them closer and deepening the kiss. They stayed like this for a while, lost in the feel of each other’s mouths and bodies pressed against each other, completely ignoring where they were until the band suddenly struck a cord below them, causing Matt to jump and finally pull away.

Matt’s breath was coming out in uneven pants from both the heat of the kiss and lack of air, though he was glad to see that Tobias was slightly out of breath as well. “So could you tell me what that was all about?” Matt asked when he had finally caught his breath, though he now had to lean in to talk with the band fully into their first song. Tobias smirked before leaning in to talk right against Matt’s ear, “Sorry, it’s been hard to keep my hands to myself all night, I just couldn’t resist any longer.” He leaned back into his chair again and shrugged in ‘sorry wasn’t me fault’ sort of way, all while trying to look deceptively innocent. Which Matt didn’t buy for a second. He glared at Tobias before standing up and walking over to the handrail to watch the band below. He glanced around the bar and was surprised to see that while he was… preoccupied it had filled up much more, almost all the tables down stairs were occupied, and even some of them tables upstairs were full. Though Matt noticed no one had occupied any of the tables near were they had been, and felt a flush of embarrassment at it. Which only increased when Tobias walked up beside him, resting an arm on Matt’s shoulder, drink in hand. Matt’s drink, actually, the smaller male realized.

“You forgot your drink.” Tobias said with a smile, though all he got in return was a glare and a mumbled thanks. Matt took the drink before looking back down at the band. His face darkened a bit when the hand moved from his shoulder and down to wrap around his waist to rest on the handrail, effectively pinning Matt against the bar. He glared up at the other man once again, but it seemed like Tobias wasn’t going to push it anymore, so he returned his focus on the band. Their sound wasn’t bad, it was a kind of soft rock, with a few harder points every once in a while, though it wasn’t anything truly unique that he’d never heard of.

“This isn’t the band I was telling you about, they’re up next.” Tobias said in his ear. Matt nodded in response, before relaxing against the handrail more, taking a few sips of his drink as the band finished up their first song and announced they’re name and thanking for everyone for coming out to the show. They quickly headed into their next set, dedicating it to a friend, though Matt wasn’t really listening, just concentrating on the band’s sound. After a few more songs the band finished up with a faster paced song than the rest, before once again thanking everyone for showing up and encouraging them to stay for the next performers. Which they didn’t need to really do, since now the bar was almost packed full, at least twice as many people were now waiting for them to finish so they could all see the next group.

As soon as the band abandoned the stage a group of worker’s clambered on in their place, rearranging things and bringing up more chairs and microphones to set in front of them. It only took a few minutes, a record time as far as Matt was concerned when it comes to changing between bands, and soon enough the next band took the stage, though only a few of them had the ‘usual’ selection of instruments, the rest were carrying violins, cellos, and even one had a flute. Matt looked on in interest, the band was of good size as well, one lead singer who took front stage a guitar strapped around her neck as well, the drummer in the back, then two violinists and a cello player taking one of the seats, the flutist taking the other seat. After playing a few notes to get in tune the band started right into they’re first song, which was unique, and very good, Matt had to admit. He couldn’t quite tell what the lyrics were, the woman’s voice blending perfectly into the rest of the band’ sound. It was as if the band decided to take the sound of classical music and give it a slightly rock feel, with the guitar and drum set. It was a good combination, and he could see why Tobias had wanted to see the group. The songs were long but changed enough throughout it that kept him interested and it was all too soon before the band was announcing its last song, much to the displeasure of the crowd. Once finished the band thanked everyone for the encouraging feedback and telling everyone that they will be available to talk afterwards.

The two men hung back as people slowly started to file out of the bar, and Matt found he was missing the warmth of the other man when Tobias pulled away. “Well, what did you think?” Tobias asked, turning to lean back against the handrail. “They were amazing, do they have a cd or anything out yet?”

Tobias shook his head, “No, mostly they’re only known by word of mouth, and their sound his so different, many larger venues won’t book them.” Matt frowned, “That’s too bad.” Tobias nodded his head in response before standing up and looking downstairs once again. “It looks as if the crowd has dispersed enough for us to leave.” Matt nodded and pushed himself off the handrail, setting his now empty glass on one of the nearby tables before starting to head around the balcony over to the stairs. Tobias followed suit, once again wrapping an arm around the other’s waist when they had made their way downstairs. Matt looked up at him with a dark expression, but decided not protest as long as that’s all he kept it to.

They headed back outside, and began to walk down the deserted street towards the parking lot Tobias’ car was located. As they got closer to the lot, the street got steadily busier, more cars occupied the streets, a few taxis scattered through out them and even more people walking along the sidewalk. Once at the car Tobias pulled Matt to a stop before turning to him and capturing his mouth in a heated kiss, which the smaller man didn’t resist, instead immediately wrapping one arm around the other’s neck and the other around Tobias’ waist, as if they had both been silently waiting for this moment. Tobias pressed into the brunette, pushing him back against his car and tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Matt moaned softly into the other’s mouth, jumping slightly when he felt a hand slide under the hem of his shirt, slowly moving up to caress his chest. He moaned much more loudly when the wandering hand found one of his nipples, playing with and making the smaller man arch. Matt felt Tobias chuckle into his mouth before he released the slightly abused nipple and moving both hands back to grasp at the brunette’s backside, pulling his hips forward to grind their groins together. This caused Matt to gasp slightly, panting from the heat of it all when Tobias released his mouth.

Matt whimpered slightly from the loss of heat when Tobias pulled back, causing the taller man to chuckle a bit. “Maybe we should slow down a bit…” Tobias said with a smirk, arms on both sides of Matt’s head, propping himself above the brunette. Matt nodded numbly, still leaning against the car while the strength slowly returned to his legs.

“Come on, I’ll take you home.” Tobias fully stood up now and backed up, giving Matt room to stand. Matt started to nod in agreement before freezing, as if suddenly realizing something. “Uh, actually I’ll just take a cab home.” He said quickly, before heading past Tobias, puzzling the other man. When Tobias reached out to stop him Matt stepped back to avoid him. “Matthew, hold up.” But Matt didn’t listen, only increased his pace towards the busy city street, waving down a cab as he did so.

“Matthew, stop!” Tobias called after him, following the brunette out to the street, but a cab had already pulled over, Matt quickly climbing in and giving directions to the cab driver. The cab took off, flying down the road and leaving Tobias on the sidewalk to stare after it in confusion.