Who: Lee and Derrick
Where: Derrick's apartment
When: The morning after this



Derrick holds the cups of coffee with his arm and the bag of beignets in his other hand as he unlocks the door to his apartment. He spots Lee still sprawled across the couch, the sheet twisted around him as he continues to sleep. He sets the cups and the bag on the coffee table and walks into his bedroom.

The scent of fresh coffee rouses Lee from his sleep and he inhales deeply as he rubs his eyes. Disoriented for a moment he looks around and then remembers that he's on the couch in Derrick's apartment. And it appears breakfast has arrived. He can't hear any movement in the rest of the apartment so he calls out to Derrick, guessing he must be awake and around here somewhere. "Playing breakfast fairy?"

Snickering as he exits his bedroom, Derrick takes a seat on the end of the couch. "Who you callin' a fairy?"

"You," Lee laughs. "You got a problem with that?" Lee sits up, keeping the sheet wrapped around him and makes room on the couch for Derrick.

"Here," Derrick picks up the bag of beignets. "Shove one of these into that mouth of yours." He gives Lee a smirking smile as he reaches for one of the coffees. "There's another coffee. Or maybe I shoulda brought a milk. Seeing as you're a growing boy and all."

Lee starts to protest but takes Derrick's advice and shoves his mouth full instead. "Coffee's fine," he retorts once he's chewed and swallowed.

Derrick takes one of the beignets from the bag, a large lump of the powdered sugar falling onto his black t-shirt. "Shit," he mumbles before taking a bite of the doughnut.

"Works better when you're naked," Lee says, indicating the dusting of powdered sugar on his bare chest. "Of course if you owned anything but black that might work too."

"How do you know what I own and don't own?" Derrick retorts, frowning as he brushes the sugar from his shirt. "I like black. You got a problem with that?"

Lee holds up his hands in protest. "Calm down. I was just teasing. If you're gonna keep me around you have to get used to that."

"Okay... whatever," he grumbles then pops the rest of the beignet into his mouth. For some reason not really evident to him yet, Derrick knows that he likes Lee so he reins in his quick temper and relaxes in his seat on the couch. "That's why they call me 'dragon'," he says quietly.

"The temper or the penchant for black?" Lee leans back, his side against the back of the couch so he can watch Derrick as they talk.

"The temper. My old boss said I was like a dragon. Quiet until you pissed me off then it's all flames. Guess there was something to it because the name stuck."

"I think it suits you." Lee picks up his coffee and cradles it in his hands. "Can dragons be tamed?"

"No."

"Good to know." Lee sips the hot liquid slowly, letting the caffeine soak into his brain. "Any particular reason why not?"

"Because they aren't real. And who the fuck would want a tame dragon anyway?" Derrick reaches for the bag and another beignet.

Lee quietly studies Derrick. The other man is a constant mystery, but Lee wants to learn more anyway. "So if you aren't real, you don't have to put yourself out there and care about anyone, right?"

"One night on my couch and you got me all figured out, huh?" Derrick shakes his head and smirks.

"Not in the slightest. But I keep getting glimpses here and there, and I like what I see."

Derrick looks over at Lee, staring at him with no expression on his face. "Don't be too quick to judge, kid. That wouldn't be your first mistake," he says quietly.

"And definitely not my last," Lee acknowledges. "But how else do you learn than by making mistakes?"

"That's just an excuse that people tell themselves when they fuck up." Derrick finishes his second beignet and swipes at the sugar on his jeans. "But if you're in the mood for making another mistake, then I might have an offer for you."

"I'm always in the mood if the offer is right," Lee says suggestively.

"Don't get too excited. My offer is a job."

"I thought we tried that once. You told me to get the hell out of your bar."

"Yeah, well. This job may not be the job you were looking for," explains Derrick. "I really can't hire you to work where someone would see you. I'd be busted for the under age thing for sure. But what I'm offering is an off hours kinda thing. Cleaning up. When the bar is closed."

Lee curls his fingers around hip cup, thinking about Derrick's offer. "Pretty regular hours though? Something I can count on?"

"You can have all the hours you want as long as they're when the bar is closed. All cash in your pocket, too, since this won't be a 'by the books' kind a job."

"What kind of things would you want me to do?" Lee doesn't want to seem too eager, but the prospect of regular work is not something he'd give up.

"Cleaning up mostly. Sweeping floors, washing the glasses. Things like that. It ain't glamorous but it ain't that hard either. And I'll pay you well enough for it."

"I don't need glamorous. I just need something I can count on."

"Then maybe you should give this a try."

Lee sips his coffee and thinks about Derrick's offer. "If you'll have me, I'd love to do it."

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want you," replies Derrick.

"Thanks." Lee sets his empty cup down on the table and brushes the last of the powdered sugar off his face. "What time should I come by tonight?"

"It's a week night, club usually closes around midnight."

"I'll be there. Should I come in through the front, or would you rather sneak me in the back way?"

"You can come in any way you want. But if anyone starts asking questions about you being there? You tell them you're my... I don't know. Brother. Something. Just don't let them know you're working there."

Lee nods, amused at the thought of posing as Derrick's brother. "And you'll tell your bouncers not to give me a hard time?"

"They won't bother you. Steve's already saved your ass one time anyway, right?" Derrick digs in his pocket for his cigarettes.

"True. I think he thought I was cute. He go for guys?" Lee asks with a gleam in his eye.

"Hell if I know. But that's one thing that you're not going to do at my club or we can just forget about it right here." Derrick lights his cigarette with his dragon lighter.

"I was just kidding." Lee assures him. "But no sex in the club period? With anyone?"

"With anyone. I'm not running a whore house. I'm running a night club. Push me on this and you'll damn sure regret it."

"You celibate or something?" Lee grumbles under his breath. "Not like I'm gonna hustle anyone while I'm at work. I was talking exclusively about mutually recreational activities."

Realizing that Lee is referring to sex with him again, Derrick sighs and gets to his feet. "I told you last night. I ain't expectin' that as some kinda payback. All right?"

"I know. Just thought it might be fun, you know?" Lee is starting to think it's a lost cause, but he knows he saw something in Derrick's eyes last night when he got out of the shower.

"Do you want the job or not?" growls Derrick.

"I do. I'll shut up now." Lee rubs his fingers through his hair and tugs the sheet further around him and stands up. "I'll get dressed and get out of your way." He starts toward the bedroom, trailing the sheet along behind him.

Derrick takes hold of Lee's arm to stop him as he passes. "Listen kid..." Derrick sighs and lets go of Lee's arms. "Somebody gave me a chance one time."

Lee stands still, waiting to see if Derrick will keep talking. He could feel that Derrick had a soft spot for him but he'd love to know more about the other man.

"I needed that chance and I made the best of it. If you don't need this, then tell me now."

"I need it," Lee says, fighting to keep the emotion out of his voice. "Don't even doubt that."

Derrick nods then turns away. "And the couch is yours. Until you get enough money together for something else."

Stunned, Lee finds himself speechless, a condition he's not used to. "Thank you," he whispers to Derrick's back before continuing on into the bedroom.