Beau Rosier (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} beaurosier) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} 20somethings,@ 2022-03-26 15:26:00 |
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| Entry tags: | c: beau rosier, c: nate o'leary, c: scarlett mclaggen, d: 2028 03, ~ complete, Ω: rp |
RP: A night out at Taboo
Who: Beau, Scarlett, Nate
What: While Nate deals with club business, Beau spots a familiar face amongst the patrons
When: 25 March 2028 (backdated)
Warnings: Mildly NSFW
Completion status: Complete
This was the first time in a while that Beau had been into the main bar area of Taboo. One of the perks of dating the owner was access to the VIP balcony, as well as access to the simulation rooms. But while Nate dealt with something business-related, he had slipped down there after spotting a familiar face from his vantage point above the lounge.
Clean-shaven after his return to the Grace set, Beau’s dimples were in full force as he wrapped an arm around Scarlett, surprising her from behind. “Fancy seeing you here, Sweetcheeks. Let me get you a drink?”
There was always fun to be had at Taboo, and though she knew there was a risk she might run into Kenzie there, Scarlett hadn't wanted to let that risk influence her anymore. Though she wasn't sure how long she would be upset with her former best friend, she was done actively avoiding her. Especially when there were so many delicious men to be enjoyed at the club.
Scarlett rarely minded casually intimate touches, even if she didn't know who it was at first, and there was nothing but warmth when she felt the arm slip around her. She turned with a smile that grew warmer with genuine affection when she recognized his voice and then spotted those dimples she loved so much. "You can always buy me a drink, Dimples!" she assured him, leaning up to brush a relatively chaste kiss against one of those dimples.
Beau chuckled softly, pleased to see her. It had been a while, though he anticipated seeing her on set now that he and Kenzie were back to filming, even if they wouldn’t have the same sort of fun that they’d had before now that he was with Nate. Beau was a little out of the loop on the current friction between the two women and would assume that things were just the same for the best friends as they always were until informed otherwise.
“I won’t hog your attention too long,” he promised, steering her towards the bar. “I don’t want to put off any potential playthings. But tell me what’s new for the lovely Scarlett McLaggen.”
Her smile kept the warm, affectionate tilt to it, a rarity for the usually, admittedly, shallow young woman. There was just something endearing about Beau, and she had decided that he would be her friend for life. He seemed to feel the same, if the lack of awkwardness between them since he started dating Nate.
"You can have my attention as long as you'd like," she assured him, letting him guide her toward the bar. "There's not a whole lot new, though. Unless you count the fact that I've abandoned my regular playthings in favor of a new variety. Diversity is the spice of life and all…" she said with a negligent wave of her hand, as though it weren't a big deal at all.
“Well, you were bound to move on to other things after our engagement fell apart,” Beau joked. He had never planned to actually become friends with Scarlett after they’d met at the gala last year, but he was glad they had. Somehow, he didn’t miss the more physical side of their relationship, not now that he was committing himself to Nate.
He ordered drinks for them both, contemplating taking a seat on one of the bar stools before he spotted an empty table they could claim. “Variety can be fun. I’m afraid I’ve gone down the monogamous route.” Which had been mildly terrifying in the immediate aftermath of coming out, but entirely wonderful since they’d become exclusive.
"What better way to heal a broken heart?" she suggested with a dramatic sigh, as though he'd broken hers by committing to Nate. She could admit, at least to herself, that the only way he could break her heart was if he refused her friendship. Sex was easy, friendship more difficult, as she'd learned recently, but his was one she cherished.
Scarlett smiled impishly at him. "I always knew that would be the way you'd go," she said knowingly, as though it had been the only option for him. "And I can think of a few men who would love for me to go down the same path." She sighed again, shaking her head a bit as she reached for the drink that was just set in front of her on the bar. "Love is weird," she declared after a sip of the drink.
“It is,” Beau agreed candidly. Being with Nate made him feel vulnerable in ways he hadn’t expected, not just knowing that at some point soon he’d likely be under the scrutiny of all of Nate’s parents. Putting his emotions out there, sharing what he was actually feeling and not just emoting another person’s words from a script, was virtually unheard of in his adult life. Beau had fallen in love on screen so many times, but this was real life.
“But it’s a good sort of weird. If that’s the kind of weird you’re into.” He was visibly bemused that someone might try to guide Scarlett down that sort of path, though. “Why would someone even think you’d want that at your age, anyway? It’s 2028, not 1928.” People rarely settled down as soon as they left school anymore. Damn, if he’d married the girl he’d half-heartedly been dating at 19, he would be miserable now. “I hope you told those men where to stick it?”
Scarlett snorted rather inelegantly at that. "Certainly not the sort of weird I'm into," she told him, not that she'd thought he actually believed it possible.
Setting her drink down on the bar, she flung both hands out, flicking her fingers as though to say, "Exactly!" Whatever excuses Aldrich had used, she still wholly believed that his true desire had been for her to settle down with him. "Of course I did! He tried to insist he loved me just the way I am, but… ugh, he tried to introduce me to his mum! During an intimate trip to Paris," she confided, her tone going considerably dry at that last bit.
Beau schooled his face into a neutral expression as Scarlett got a bit animated. He was mostly trying not to laugh. “Hey,” he reminded her, “it’s not your fault he fooled himself into thinking he knew you better than he actually did.”
He sipped his drink, wondering if he knew anyone who might make a nice distraction for Scarlett. Unfortunately, no one came to mind who would be able to stand up to Scarlett’s vibrant personality.
But she’d mentioned Paris, though, and he couldn’t help but think fondly of his date there with Nate. “Then again,” Beau said lightly, raising his eyebrows, “you did agree to go to the City of Love with him.”
Well, at least Beau could recognize that, too. She knew it wasn't her fault at all, and she was still seething a bit on the inside that Aldrich had thought some of the blame for the disaster that had been Paris rested on her. "Not everyone is as shrewd as you," she pointed out with a dramatic sigh, though her lips twitched as she held back a smile.
Scarlett gasped playfully at that. "Oh no," she groaned. "Not you, too! It was always just about the sex, I never gave him any indication otherwise." Though even as she groaned about Aldrich's idiocy, she still somehow had a sliver of affection twinging for him. It was stupid to miss him, to miss the simple and fun moments she had with him, because he would always muck it up, always complicate things, and that wasn't what she needed in her life. Especially at only nineteen years old!
“Yeah, well, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the people I know and trust over the last few months.” In light of him coming out, Beau found that he’d been right in his estimation of most people. Only a few had surprised him, mostly by disappearing from his life.
He laughed. “I doubt you’ve ever given anyone that indication.” Even their joking about him becoming Mr Beau McLaggen one day had never been anything more than just that, a joke. “One day this is all just going to be a ridiculous footnote in the story of your life.”
The way he said that gave her a moment of pause, and her eyes narrowed as she studied him. She couldn't imagine what it had been like for him, hiding a part of himself for so long. Even if she wasn't straight, it wouldn't have occurred to her to hide that part of herself from her friends and family. But then, she supposed she'd lucked out in the friends and family department. Well, for the most part, she remembered as a dark, Kenzie-shaped cloud drifted over her thoughts again.
Nope. She shook the thoughts away and focused back on him.
"Anytime now, then, thanks," she joked with a soft, brief chuckle before bringing her drink to her lips again. "But how have you been, really? Monogamous life suiting you?" Just because it wasn't for her didn't mean she thought no one should live that way. And Beau was particularly unique in her thoughts, as she genuinely wished him happiness in a way she generally didn't bother with most people.
“I’ve actually been really well.” There was a relaxed air to his body language that might not have been there a year ago. Beau shrugged, more content in life than he had been for a long time. “Nate’s amazing, monogamous life suits me just fine. Better than fine. I’ve even met one of his mums.” Not in the context of him being Nate’s partner, but he thought he might have a seal of approval there. Being with Nate had been good for him, almost shining through on his face.
He shook his head, amused at the feeling of security he felt about Nate. Beau had never given himself the chance to feel like this about a relationship. “You’re going to end up ghosting me when I become one of those boring relationship people.”
There was something in his tone, in the way he held himself as he talked about Nate, that had Scarlett wondering if maybe there was something to it, after all. Hmm. No, probably not, even if it were true for him. And maybe she would feel different in a decade when she was as old as Beau was now. Probably not, but stranger things had happened.
"One of his mums?" she asked, one eyebrow raising. She didn't know anything about Nate, aside from him being the owner of this club and the little she'd heard from Beau and Kenzie.
"Never!" She chuckled and shook her head, though sobered a moment later, letting her eyes go wide. "Unless you start inviting me to weird couples things." She shuddered as if that were the most horrifying thought she'd ever had.
“Uh, yeah. His family set-up is a little unusual.” Beau waved it off, not wanting to go into what he knew of Nate’s parental unit. That wasn’t his story to tell. Then he remembered, “Natalie owns the boutique next to your dad’s shop.”
Beau grinned. “Like dinner parties and shit like that?” He really couldn’t see that happening. For one thing, everyone would probably find a polite way to turn the invitation down once they realised the menu would be vegan. Pea protein just didn’t win you friends. “I promise, no weird couple stuff.”
That was a bit strange, but she supposed it didn't really matter if he explained or not. Until he mentioned the shop, her blue eyes taking on a rather impressed gleam. "His mum is the Natalie, of Natalie Designs?!" She didn't know much about the designer, but her shop had always been one of her favorites to window shop and to finally shop in regularly now that she'd sorted out such a lucrative arrangement with Penny. Although she was a bit spoiled by her parents, she wasn't Natalie Designs-on-a-regular-basis spoiled.
She blew out a breath at the reassurance, not that she'd been worried. "Good. I'd hate to have to ditch my favorite ex-fiance," she teased lightly, nudging against him with her shoulder.
“The Natalie of Natalie Designs,” Beau confirmed, amused and maybe a little smug on Nate’s behalf. It was kind of nice seeing Scarlett look genuinely impressed.
“The O’Learys are everywhere when you know where to look,” he added. “Speaking of…” He nodded past Scarlett to a familiar face, his own expression softening to one of quiet delight. “Hi, Nate. I got lonely,” he joked, “so I thought I’d find a friend.”
Scarlett whistled at that, more impressed than she'd have liked to admit. She wondered if she might be able to leverage that connection at some point.
"Interesting," she said with a soft hum, glancing over a moment later when the tall, lanky man that had captured Beau's heart joined them. "He bought me a drink and everything. It was quite scandalous," she chimed in, as if it had been a serious flirtation. If there were any chance Nate would think it serious, she'd not have said it, but she was rather confident that it would be taken in good fun.
Nate offered the blonde an amused grin, one arm hooking around Beau affectionately. "Is that so? And things were going so well." He sighed with a touch of drama. "For shame, for shame," he added dryly, though he notably kept his arm around Beau.
“Mm. We were on the verge of running away together,” Beau quipped, adding that Gretna Green was just a Floo trip away.
Beau leant unconsciously towards Nate, his body language making it clear who he was going home with tonight. “Maybe I’m just missing being the latest piece of gossip.” Except he wasn’t in the slightest. If anything, it was strange how his relationship with Nate had been practically unnoticed by most people. “I’m a professional drama queen, after all.”
Scarlett had to press her lips together firmly to keep from laughing at that bit. Gretna Green, indeed. It was a good thing she knew there was zero chance he was serious. Although… that might not be a terrible idea for an April Fool's Day prank. She'd have to see who she could rope into such a scheme.
"Mm, if you want to be gossipped about, we can certainly step things up, really give the gossip mongers something to talk about," Nate suggested, ducking his head to bring his lips to that soft, sensitive bit of skin under Beau's ear.
"Uggh, gross," Scarlett joked, plucking a piece of ice from her drink and flicking it toward the pair. "If you two keep that up, I might just gag." And that was not what she wanted to be doing at Taboo. "Actually, carry on. I think I'll take myself upstairs and see what mischief I can find." She took one last sip of her drink before leaning up to brush another kiss against Beau's cheek. "Catch you later, Dimples!"
Beau chuckled, equally amused by both of them and resisting the urge to turn his head and kiss Nate properly. PDAs with his partner were still new, but not something he was opposed to. The ice hit his shoulder harmlessly and he brushed away the wet residue it left.
“Try not to get into too much trouble,” he remarked, knowing that Scarlett would likely get into just the right amount of trouble. “See you soon, Sweetcheeks.”
As she left, Beau turned properly towards Nate, hands reaching for him. “You got everything sorted?” His smile turned cheeky. “I get you to myself again?”
Nate chuckled when the blonde blew a kiss to his boyfriend over her shoulder before disappearing into the stairwell. He turned his full attention to Beau then, both his hands at his hips, tugging him closer. "All sorted," he confirmed with a small nod. "Shall we head up to the balcony?" he suggested.
Once they were upstairs with fresh drinks, Nate sank into the deep, plush cushion of the sofa, one long arm stretched across the back of it. "I've half a mind to message Kenzie and let her know Scarlett's on the prowl here," he told Beau casually, assuming that he knew all about the fight. Kenzie had come to him asking for advice on how to handle the situation, but he was afraid he hadn't been terribly helpful. It was something, he thought, that the girls would need to work out for themselves.
Beau settled himself next to Nate, taking full advantage of the privacy that the balcony afforded them. “That’s pretty normal behaviour for Scar. Kenzie probably already knows,” he remarked, oblivious to the drama between the two. “Scarlett will find someone to have her wicked way with, no doubt about that.”
His free hand came to rest on Nate’s leg. “Besides, I’m sure there’s better things we could be doing than talking about the girls…?” he suggested, the idea of kissing Nate having never subsided.
It was on the tip of the tongue to ask if Beau really didn't know, but the thought entirely escaped him at the hand on his leg and the tempting thoughts his boyfriend planted in his mind. "Mm, indeed there are," he agreed, turning his body toward Beau and leaning in for a proper kiss.
They'd not spent as much time in the club together as one might think, and he enjoyed imagining what they might get up to. Would Beau be comfortable enough to fool around up here? It was relatively private, but there were a few who had access aside from them.
The joy of kissing Nate had really never subsided. Beau was happy and relaxed, a buzz from his drink flowing through him and basking in the attention of his handsome partner.
He felt bolder about public displays now than he had in their early days. It was easier to shift closer, knowing that if someone walked in on them now then two men kissing would hardly be the most shocking thing in the building tonight. Beau had to admit that he missed his beard a little, enjoying the way that Nate had always reacted so favourably to it.
“I really hope,” he murmured between kisses, “that your staff don’t need you for the rest of the night.”
Nate chuckled between kisses, his fingertips curling a little more firmly against Beau. "I think we'll be safe, especially with Eve back," he murmured, letting his lips brush feather-light against him as he spoke.
One hand slipped around his back, the other trailing fingers over his thigh before gripping behind his knee. "Need you closer," he urged, tugging a bit to encourage the other man onto his lap.
“Good.” It still felt like a bit of a luxury not having to rush things; Beau hoped that never went away. Every moment with Nate should feel luxurious, as far as he was concerned.
Beau could take a cue. Taking advantage of the comfortable sofa’s size, he moved to straddle Nate’s lap, his hands coming up to cup his face as he kissed him. “Close enough?” he teased in a low voice, pressing himself against the lean body beneath him.
As Beau straddled him, Nate seemed to melt further into the cushions, his hips lifting a bit as he shifted, pushing up against the other man. The desire always seemed to be stirring when he was with him, a low hum that served to remind him of all the decadent things they could be getting up to.
It was a good thing he was a patient man.
"Not quite," he hummed, his teeth nipping at Beau's lower lip, the tip of his tongue swiping out to soothe the tender flesh right after. He wanted skin, and he wasn't shy in showing it.
Beau hummed, moving his mouth slowly down Nate’s throat. His hands skimmed downwards too, carefully unfastening the next button of Nate’s shirt so that there was more skin exposed for him to kiss. “Have I told you already how delicious you look tonight?” he asked, barely able to pull his lips away from Nate. He wondered if he had the nerve to taste him here on the balcony. Maybe not tonight, but perhaps he would at some point.
Committing to Nate might just have been the best decision he’d ever made. If he’d known how much happiness someone could bring into his life… Well, hindsight was 20/20. Beau couldn’t change the past or any other decisions he’d made. But he could enjoy the future that was right in front of him.
"You might have, but I always enjoy hearing it," Nate answered, shifting his hips up just so again. He wanted Beau, of course, but he'd taken the approach of going at whatever pace Beau was most comfortable. And he got the impression that wouldn't be happening just yet. He would continue to be patient, though, and enjoy wherever this did lead.
His lips trailed over Beau's jaw, nipping lightly. He missed the scruff Beau was able to grow out between filming, but he understood that he had to share the man with the world, visually at least. "I was thinking I'd come visit you on set soon. See if we can get some tongues wagging," he suggested, his lips brushing against the crook of Beau's neck. He'd thought a lot about whether he should 'out' them publicly through Gossip Guru, but he'd held back, curious to see how long it would take to get any tips sent in or for another gossip columnist to pick up on it. It was taking much longer than he'd anticipated, though, and so it made sense to abandon a bit of the subtlety.
“I’d like that.” Just as he liked the way Nate pressed up against him. Beau’s eyes fluttered closed as Nate kissed his neck, relishing every intimate moment. “I’ll get to show you off to people.” Kenzie knew, of course, and his friends in hair and make-up, but he was still relatively discreet about his private life. It would be good to introduce Nate to Ying-Li in particular as he knew he’d be sharing a lot of screen time with her. He didn’t think Nate was the type to get acting and reality muddled but Beau had seen it happen during his many years in the business.
He kissed Nate lightly, a pleased smile on his face. “Maybe we’ll shock a few people like you wanted to do before.” Back before his plans for coming out had been sped up by someone looking to make a few galleons.
Smiling warmly against his neck, Nate nodded his head slightly. "How many times do you think I'll get comments about my height? Or, rather, our height difference?" he asked teasingly. There wasn't anything about Beau's physique that he would change, and he quite enjoyed their height difference.
Nate chuckled again at that, kissing his way back up to Beau's lips before pulling back to look at him with amusement dancing in his eyes. "That would be quite fun, wouldn't it? What sort of shock would you be open to, though?" He knew he was far less reserved when it came to those things personally than most people. It came with the territory of sex club owner, though, he rather thought.
Beau laughed, glad for the distraction before his body started to persuade him to do things that he wasn’t quite ready to do in the club. “Anyone would think you’re trying to call me short.” He wasn’t at all put out by the comparison of their heights, though he’d heard the words ’you’re shorter than I expected’ more times than he’d care to over his career. “You’ll probably get asked what the weather’s like up there.”
His hand curled around the back of Nate’s neck, smoothing his hair. “I’m sure we can think of something. And if we have a premiere party, you’ll be my date.” He’d be damn proud of it too.
Schooling his expression, his eyebrows furrowing faintly, Nate shook his head. "I would never!" he declared as innocently as he could. And he was able to play it off everywhere except in his eyes, which danced with mirth, enjoying the levity of the moment. "I get asked that all the time anyway," he pointed out with a sigh. People often weren't original when it came to that.
His hands went back around him, fingers pressing into his arse cheeks to nudge him closer as his nose bumped his playfully. "Of course I will," he agreed. How much he'd fought hoping for such a thing! But he would happily be Beau's date to anything, and he hoped theirs would be a relationship that only deepened over time.
His heart feeling light and content, Beau kissed him possessively. Nate was saying and doing all the right things to make Beau’s interest in their current entangled situation increasingly obvious. Few people had access to the balcony, though he was sure Nate could tell he was holding back a little. When he’d made out with men in clubs in the past, they’d been hidden away in shadows and dark corners; it was a difficult habit to break.
“I want to go somewhere just us,” he said quietly, nose brushing Nate’s. Somewhere private. “Any suggestions?”
There was something in the way Beau kissed him then, something that had his heart feeling light and full. Knowing that when they went down the spiral staircase again, Beau wouldn't be shying away from holding his hand or avoiding light, casual PDA made the kiss so much more than the intimate moments they'd stolen in the past. Beau was his, and he was Beau's, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
Nate grinned widely at the nose nudge. "Hmm, have you been given a proper tour of my office?" he asked, one brow raising. It was more private than the balcony, considering it had four walls and a door they would be able to lock, but he wondered a moment later if Beau had meant he wanted them to go back to one of their homes. "Unless you'd prefer even more familiar surroundings?"
Beau had been in Nate’s office, of course, but he knew that wasn’t the real question being asked. He smirked, thinking very favourably of having a door they could lock. “Well,” he said slowly, his lips finding places for light kisses along Nate’s jaw, “if you’re going to visit me on set, it seems only fair that I get more acquainted with your workplace.”
It didn’t hurt that Beau was clearly able to picture Nate at his chair as he knelt before him. That was an image he would very much like to bring to life.
“I wouldn’t mind getting more familiar with your office,” he assured Nate.
Images of Beau stretched across his desk danced in Nate's mind, his body responding quite favourably to the thought and the continued press of his boyfriend's body against his own. "That does seem equitable, doesn't it?" he murmured, amused, even as his hips pushed up against Beau again. Walking was likely to have an edge of discomfort to it, but he supposed that would only amp up the anticipation.
His fingers dug in again, his hands pulling Beau down against him briefly before guiding him off his lap again. "Shall we, then?" he suggested.
The way he'd set the club up meant they were able to travel through hidden corridors to get to his office, avoiding patrons and employees both, stepping into his office through a concealed door spelled to only open for him. The main entrance to the office was always locked if he wasn't in the room, and so the office was empty, as expected.
"Now, where were we…?" he said, pushing Beau against his desk as his lips lowered to his again.
Damn, it was a wrench to pull himself away from Nate, but Beau knew it would be worth it. He followed quite obediently, though with a little personal discomfort, half-hard as he was. Beau found himself particularly grateful for the hidden corridors, suspecting that they were of Nate’s own design and not an original feature of the building.
His hands greedily found Nate again as he was pressed against the desk, head tipped up to meet the kiss. “I think that was it,” he agreed, hands sliding over the taller man’s arse. In their embrace, Beau was pushed further against the desk and he shifted to sit upon it, legs parted to draw his partner in closer.
“I can see myself becoming very well acquainted with this room,” Beau murmured.
Nate nestled himself between Beau's legs, humming against his lips at his words. He looked forward to them both becoming very well acquainted with all of their important, semi-private places. This office. Beau's work trailer. His flat. Beau's house. Though they'd done pretty well with those last two thus far.
He loved how in tune they were physically, but what he loved more was the deeper connection they seemed to have. There was no doubt in his mind that he was falling hard for Beau, that a part of him had started falling over a decade prior, when they'd been fumbling teenagers sneaking around. It was a long time coming, but as he shifted Beau on the table, nimble fingers removing their clothes one item at a time, Nate knew he wouldn't have come to this moment any other way.
Words didn't seem to matter as much as he set about showing Beau how much he cared, how much he wanted him.
Clean-shaven after his return to the Grace set, Beau’s dimples were in full force as he wrapped an arm around Scarlett, surprising her from behind. “Fancy seeing you here, Sweetcheeks. Let me get you a drink?”
There was always fun to be had at Taboo, and though she knew there was a risk she might run into Kenzie there, Scarlett hadn't wanted to let that risk influence her anymore. Though she wasn't sure how long she would be upset with her former best friend, she was done actively avoiding her. Especially when there were so many delicious men to be enjoyed at the club.
Scarlett rarely minded casually intimate touches, even if she didn't know who it was at first, and there was nothing but warmth when she felt the arm slip around her. She turned with a smile that grew warmer with genuine affection when she recognized his voice and then spotted those dimples she loved so much. "You can always buy me a drink, Dimples!" she assured him, leaning up to brush a relatively chaste kiss against one of those dimples.
Beau chuckled softly, pleased to see her. It had been a while, though he anticipated seeing her on set now that he and Kenzie were back to filming, even if they wouldn’t have the same sort of fun that they’d had before now that he was with Nate. Beau was a little out of the loop on the current friction between the two women and would assume that things were just the same for the best friends as they always were until informed otherwise.
“I won’t hog your attention too long,” he promised, steering her towards the bar. “I don’t want to put off any potential playthings. But tell me what’s new for the lovely Scarlett McLaggen.”
Her smile kept the warm, affectionate tilt to it, a rarity for the usually, admittedly, shallow young woman. There was just something endearing about Beau, and she had decided that he would be her friend for life. He seemed to feel the same, if the lack of awkwardness between them since he started dating Nate.
"You can have my attention as long as you'd like," she assured him, letting him guide her toward the bar. "There's not a whole lot new, though. Unless you count the fact that I've abandoned my regular playthings in favor of a new variety. Diversity is the spice of life and all…" she said with a negligent wave of her hand, as though it weren't a big deal at all.
“Well, you were bound to move on to other things after our engagement fell apart,” Beau joked. He had never planned to actually become friends with Scarlett after they’d met at the gala last year, but he was glad they had. Somehow, he didn’t miss the more physical side of their relationship, not now that he was committing himself to Nate.
He ordered drinks for them both, contemplating taking a seat on one of the bar stools before he spotted an empty table they could claim. “Variety can be fun. I’m afraid I’ve gone down the monogamous route.” Which had been mildly terrifying in the immediate aftermath of coming out, but entirely wonderful since they’d become exclusive.
"What better way to heal a broken heart?" she suggested with a dramatic sigh, as though he'd broken hers by committing to Nate. She could admit, at least to herself, that the only way he could break her heart was if he refused her friendship. Sex was easy, friendship more difficult, as she'd learned recently, but his was one she cherished.
Scarlett smiled impishly at him. "I always knew that would be the way you'd go," she said knowingly, as though it had been the only option for him. "And I can think of a few men who would love for me to go down the same path." She sighed again, shaking her head a bit as she reached for the drink that was just set in front of her on the bar. "Love is weird," she declared after a sip of the drink.
“It is,” Beau agreed candidly. Being with Nate made him feel vulnerable in ways he hadn’t expected, not just knowing that at some point soon he’d likely be under the scrutiny of all of Nate’s parents. Putting his emotions out there, sharing what he was actually feeling and not just emoting another person’s words from a script, was virtually unheard of in his adult life. Beau had fallen in love on screen so many times, but this was real life.
“But it’s a good sort of weird. If that’s the kind of weird you’re into.” He was visibly bemused that someone might try to guide Scarlett down that sort of path, though. “Why would someone even think you’d want that at your age, anyway? It’s 2028, not 1928.” People rarely settled down as soon as they left school anymore. Damn, if he’d married the girl he’d half-heartedly been dating at 19, he would be miserable now. “I hope you told those men where to stick it?”
Scarlett snorted rather inelegantly at that. "Certainly not the sort of weird I'm into," she told him, not that she'd thought he actually believed it possible.
Setting her drink down on the bar, she flung both hands out, flicking her fingers as though to say, "Exactly!" Whatever excuses Aldrich had used, she still wholly believed that his true desire had been for her to settle down with him. "Of course I did! He tried to insist he loved me just the way I am, but… ugh, he tried to introduce me to his mum! During an intimate trip to Paris," she confided, her tone going considerably dry at that last bit.
Beau schooled his face into a neutral expression as Scarlett got a bit animated. He was mostly trying not to laugh. “Hey,” he reminded her, “it’s not your fault he fooled himself into thinking he knew you better than he actually did.”
He sipped his drink, wondering if he knew anyone who might make a nice distraction for Scarlett. Unfortunately, no one came to mind who would be able to stand up to Scarlett’s vibrant personality.
But she’d mentioned Paris, though, and he couldn’t help but think fondly of his date there with Nate. “Then again,” Beau said lightly, raising his eyebrows, “you did agree to go to the City of Love with him.”
Well, at least Beau could recognize that, too. She knew it wasn't her fault at all, and she was still seething a bit on the inside that Aldrich had thought some of the blame for the disaster that had been Paris rested on her. "Not everyone is as shrewd as you," she pointed out with a dramatic sigh, though her lips twitched as she held back a smile.
Scarlett gasped playfully at that. "Oh no," she groaned. "Not you, too! It was always just about the sex, I never gave him any indication otherwise." Though even as she groaned about Aldrich's idiocy, she still somehow had a sliver of affection twinging for him. It was stupid to miss him, to miss the simple and fun moments she had with him, because he would always muck it up, always complicate things, and that wasn't what she needed in her life. Especially at only nineteen years old!
“Yeah, well, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the people I know and trust over the last few months.” In light of him coming out, Beau found that he’d been right in his estimation of most people. Only a few had surprised him, mostly by disappearing from his life.
He laughed. “I doubt you’ve ever given anyone that indication.” Even their joking about him becoming Mr Beau McLaggen one day had never been anything more than just that, a joke. “One day this is all just going to be a ridiculous footnote in the story of your life.”
The way he said that gave her a moment of pause, and her eyes narrowed as she studied him. She couldn't imagine what it had been like for him, hiding a part of himself for so long. Even if she wasn't straight, it wouldn't have occurred to her to hide that part of herself from her friends and family. But then, she supposed she'd lucked out in the friends and family department. Well, for the most part, she remembered as a dark, Kenzie-shaped cloud drifted over her thoughts again.
Nope. She shook the thoughts away and focused back on him.
"Anytime now, then, thanks," she joked with a soft, brief chuckle before bringing her drink to her lips again. "But how have you been, really? Monogamous life suiting you?" Just because it wasn't for her didn't mean she thought no one should live that way. And Beau was particularly unique in her thoughts, as she genuinely wished him happiness in a way she generally didn't bother with most people.
“I’ve actually been really well.” There was a relaxed air to his body language that might not have been there a year ago. Beau shrugged, more content in life than he had been for a long time. “Nate’s amazing, monogamous life suits me just fine. Better than fine. I’ve even met one of his mums.” Not in the context of him being Nate’s partner, but he thought he might have a seal of approval there. Being with Nate had been good for him, almost shining through on his face.
He shook his head, amused at the feeling of security he felt about Nate. Beau had never given himself the chance to feel like this about a relationship. “You’re going to end up ghosting me when I become one of those boring relationship people.”
There was something in his tone, in the way he held himself as he talked about Nate, that had Scarlett wondering if maybe there was something to it, after all. Hmm. No, probably not, even if it were true for him. And maybe she would feel different in a decade when she was as old as Beau was now. Probably not, but stranger things had happened.
"One of his mums?" she asked, one eyebrow raising. She didn't know anything about Nate, aside from him being the owner of this club and the little she'd heard from Beau and Kenzie.
"Never!" She chuckled and shook her head, though sobered a moment later, letting her eyes go wide. "Unless you start inviting me to weird couples things." She shuddered as if that were the most horrifying thought she'd ever had.
“Uh, yeah. His family set-up is a little unusual.” Beau waved it off, not wanting to go into what he knew of Nate’s parental unit. That wasn’t his story to tell. Then he remembered, “Natalie owns the boutique next to your dad’s shop.”
Beau grinned. “Like dinner parties and shit like that?” He really couldn’t see that happening. For one thing, everyone would probably find a polite way to turn the invitation down once they realised the menu would be vegan. Pea protein just didn’t win you friends. “I promise, no weird couple stuff.”
That was a bit strange, but she supposed it didn't really matter if he explained or not. Until he mentioned the shop, her blue eyes taking on a rather impressed gleam. "His mum is the Natalie, of Natalie Designs?!" She didn't know much about the designer, but her shop had always been one of her favorites to window shop and to finally shop in regularly now that she'd sorted out such a lucrative arrangement with Penny. Although she was a bit spoiled by her parents, she wasn't Natalie Designs-on-a-regular-basis spoiled.
She blew out a breath at the reassurance, not that she'd been worried. "Good. I'd hate to have to ditch my favorite ex-fiance," she teased lightly, nudging against him with her shoulder.
“The Natalie of Natalie Designs,” Beau confirmed, amused and maybe a little smug on Nate’s behalf. It was kind of nice seeing Scarlett look genuinely impressed.
“The O’Learys are everywhere when you know where to look,” he added. “Speaking of…” He nodded past Scarlett to a familiar face, his own expression softening to one of quiet delight. “Hi, Nate. I got lonely,” he joked, “so I thought I’d find a friend.”
Scarlett whistled at that, more impressed than she'd have liked to admit. She wondered if she might be able to leverage that connection at some point.
"Interesting," she said with a soft hum, glancing over a moment later when the tall, lanky man that had captured Beau's heart joined them. "He bought me a drink and everything. It was quite scandalous," she chimed in, as if it had been a serious flirtation. If there were any chance Nate would think it serious, she'd not have said it, but she was rather confident that it would be taken in good fun.
Nate offered the blonde an amused grin, one arm hooking around Beau affectionately. "Is that so? And things were going so well." He sighed with a touch of drama. "For shame, for shame," he added dryly, though he notably kept his arm around Beau.
“Mm. We were on the verge of running away together,” Beau quipped, adding that Gretna Green was just a Floo trip away.
Beau leant unconsciously towards Nate, his body language making it clear who he was going home with tonight. “Maybe I’m just missing being the latest piece of gossip.” Except he wasn’t in the slightest. If anything, it was strange how his relationship with Nate had been practically unnoticed by most people. “I’m a professional drama queen, after all.”
Scarlett had to press her lips together firmly to keep from laughing at that bit. Gretna Green, indeed. It was a good thing she knew there was zero chance he was serious. Although… that might not be a terrible idea for an April Fool's Day prank. She'd have to see who she could rope into such a scheme.
"Mm, if you want to be gossipped about, we can certainly step things up, really give the gossip mongers something to talk about," Nate suggested, ducking his head to bring his lips to that soft, sensitive bit of skin under Beau's ear.
"Uggh, gross," Scarlett joked, plucking a piece of ice from her drink and flicking it toward the pair. "If you two keep that up, I might just gag." And that was not what she wanted to be doing at Taboo. "Actually, carry on. I think I'll take myself upstairs and see what mischief I can find." She took one last sip of her drink before leaning up to brush another kiss against Beau's cheek. "Catch you later, Dimples!"
Beau chuckled, equally amused by both of them and resisting the urge to turn his head and kiss Nate properly. PDAs with his partner were still new, but not something he was opposed to. The ice hit his shoulder harmlessly and he brushed away the wet residue it left.
“Try not to get into too much trouble,” he remarked, knowing that Scarlett would likely get into just the right amount of trouble. “See you soon, Sweetcheeks.”
As she left, Beau turned properly towards Nate, hands reaching for him. “You got everything sorted?” His smile turned cheeky. “I get you to myself again?”
Nate chuckled when the blonde blew a kiss to his boyfriend over her shoulder before disappearing into the stairwell. He turned his full attention to Beau then, both his hands at his hips, tugging him closer. "All sorted," he confirmed with a small nod. "Shall we head up to the balcony?" he suggested.
Once they were upstairs with fresh drinks, Nate sank into the deep, plush cushion of the sofa, one long arm stretched across the back of it. "I've half a mind to message Kenzie and let her know Scarlett's on the prowl here," he told Beau casually, assuming that he knew all about the fight. Kenzie had come to him asking for advice on how to handle the situation, but he was afraid he hadn't been terribly helpful. It was something, he thought, that the girls would need to work out for themselves.
Beau settled himself next to Nate, taking full advantage of the privacy that the balcony afforded them. “That’s pretty normal behaviour for Scar. Kenzie probably already knows,” he remarked, oblivious to the drama between the two. “Scarlett will find someone to have her wicked way with, no doubt about that.”
His free hand came to rest on Nate’s leg. “Besides, I’m sure there’s better things we could be doing than talking about the girls…?” he suggested, the idea of kissing Nate having never subsided.
It was on the tip of the tongue to ask if Beau really didn't know, but the thought entirely escaped him at the hand on his leg and the tempting thoughts his boyfriend planted in his mind. "Mm, indeed there are," he agreed, turning his body toward Beau and leaning in for a proper kiss.
They'd not spent as much time in the club together as one might think, and he enjoyed imagining what they might get up to. Would Beau be comfortable enough to fool around up here? It was relatively private, but there were a few who had access aside from them.
The joy of kissing Nate had really never subsided. Beau was happy and relaxed, a buzz from his drink flowing through him and basking in the attention of his handsome partner.
He felt bolder about public displays now than he had in their early days. It was easier to shift closer, knowing that if someone walked in on them now then two men kissing would hardly be the most shocking thing in the building tonight. Beau had to admit that he missed his beard a little, enjoying the way that Nate had always reacted so favourably to it.
“I really hope,” he murmured between kisses, “that your staff don’t need you for the rest of the night.”
Nate chuckled between kisses, his fingertips curling a little more firmly against Beau. "I think we'll be safe, especially with Eve back," he murmured, letting his lips brush feather-light against him as he spoke.
One hand slipped around his back, the other trailing fingers over his thigh before gripping behind his knee. "Need you closer," he urged, tugging a bit to encourage the other man onto his lap.
“Good.” It still felt like a bit of a luxury not having to rush things; Beau hoped that never went away. Every moment with Nate should feel luxurious, as far as he was concerned.
Beau could take a cue. Taking advantage of the comfortable sofa’s size, he moved to straddle Nate’s lap, his hands coming up to cup his face as he kissed him. “Close enough?” he teased in a low voice, pressing himself against the lean body beneath him.
As Beau straddled him, Nate seemed to melt further into the cushions, his hips lifting a bit as he shifted, pushing up against the other man. The desire always seemed to be stirring when he was with him, a low hum that served to remind him of all the decadent things they could be getting up to.
It was a good thing he was a patient man.
"Not quite," he hummed, his teeth nipping at Beau's lower lip, the tip of his tongue swiping out to soothe the tender flesh right after. He wanted skin, and he wasn't shy in showing it.
Beau hummed, moving his mouth slowly down Nate’s throat. His hands skimmed downwards too, carefully unfastening the next button of Nate’s shirt so that there was more skin exposed for him to kiss. “Have I told you already how delicious you look tonight?” he asked, barely able to pull his lips away from Nate. He wondered if he had the nerve to taste him here on the balcony. Maybe not tonight, but perhaps he would at some point.
Committing to Nate might just have been the best decision he’d ever made. If he’d known how much happiness someone could bring into his life… Well, hindsight was 20/20. Beau couldn’t change the past or any other decisions he’d made. But he could enjoy the future that was right in front of him.
"You might have, but I always enjoy hearing it," Nate answered, shifting his hips up just so again. He wanted Beau, of course, but he'd taken the approach of going at whatever pace Beau was most comfortable. And he got the impression that wouldn't be happening just yet. He would continue to be patient, though, and enjoy wherever this did lead.
His lips trailed over Beau's jaw, nipping lightly. He missed the scruff Beau was able to grow out between filming, but he understood that he had to share the man with the world, visually at least. "I was thinking I'd come visit you on set soon. See if we can get some tongues wagging," he suggested, his lips brushing against the crook of Beau's neck. He'd thought a lot about whether he should 'out' them publicly through Gossip Guru, but he'd held back, curious to see how long it would take to get any tips sent in or for another gossip columnist to pick up on it. It was taking much longer than he'd anticipated, though, and so it made sense to abandon a bit of the subtlety.
“I’d like that.” Just as he liked the way Nate pressed up against him. Beau’s eyes fluttered closed as Nate kissed his neck, relishing every intimate moment. “I’ll get to show you off to people.” Kenzie knew, of course, and his friends in hair and make-up, but he was still relatively discreet about his private life. It would be good to introduce Nate to Ying-Li in particular as he knew he’d be sharing a lot of screen time with her. He didn’t think Nate was the type to get acting and reality muddled but Beau had seen it happen during his many years in the business.
He kissed Nate lightly, a pleased smile on his face. “Maybe we’ll shock a few people like you wanted to do before.” Back before his plans for coming out had been sped up by someone looking to make a few galleons.
Smiling warmly against his neck, Nate nodded his head slightly. "How many times do you think I'll get comments about my height? Or, rather, our height difference?" he asked teasingly. There wasn't anything about Beau's physique that he would change, and he quite enjoyed their height difference.
Nate chuckled again at that, kissing his way back up to Beau's lips before pulling back to look at him with amusement dancing in his eyes. "That would be quite fun, wouldn't it? What sort of shock would you be open to, though?" He knew he was far less reserved when it came to those things personally than most people. It came with the territory of sex club owner, though, he rather thought.
Beau laughed, glad for the distraction before his body started to persuade him to do things that he wasn’t quite ready to do in the club. “Anyone would think you’re trying to call me short.” He wasn’t at all put out by the comparison of their heights, though he’d heard the words ’you’re shorter than I expected’ more times than he’d care to over his career. “You’ll probably get asked what the weather’s like up there.”
His hand curled around the back of Nate’s neck, smoothing his hair. “I’m sure we can think of something. And if we have a premiere party, you’ll be my date.” He’d be damn proud of it too.
Schooling his expression, his eyebrows furrowing faintly, Nate shook his head. "I would never!" he declared as innocently as he could. And he was able to play it off everywhere except in his eyes, which danced with mirth, enjoying the levity of the moment. "I get asked that all the time anyway," he pointed out with a sigh. People often weren't original when it came to that.
His hands went back around him, fingers pressing into his arse cheeks to nudge him closer as his nose bumped his playfully. "Of course I will," he agreed. How much he'd fought hoping for such a thing! But he would happily be Beau's date to anything, and he hoped theirs would be a relationship that only deepened over time.
His heart feeling light and content, Beau kissed him possessively. Nate was saying and doing all the right things to make Beau’s interest in their current entangled situation increasingly obvious. Few people had access to the balcony, though he was sure Nate could tell he was holding back a little. When he’d made out with men in clubs in the past, they’d been hidden away in shadows and dark corners; it was a difficult habit to break.
“I want to go somewhere just us,” he said quietly, nose brushing Nate’s. Somewhere private. “Any suggestions?”
There was something in the way Beau kissed him then, something that had his heart feeling light and full. Knowing that when they went down the spiral staircase again, Beau wouldn't be shying away from holding his hand or avoiding light, casual PDA made the kiss so much more than the intimate moments they'd stolen in the past. Beau was his, and he was Beau's, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
Nate grinned widely at the nose nudge. "Hmm, have you been given a proper tour of my office?" he asked, one brow raising. It was more private than the balcony, considering it had four walls and a door they would be able to lock, but he wondered a moment later if Beau had meant he wanted them to go back to one of their homes. "Unless you'd prefer even more familiar surroundings?"
Beau had been in Nate’s office, of course, but he knew that wasn’t the real question being asked. He smirked, thinking very favourably of having a door they could lock. “Well,” he said slowly, his lips finding places for light kisses along Nate’s jaw, “if you’re going to visit me on set, it seems only fair that I get more acquainted with your workplace.”
It didn’t hurt that Beau was clearly able to picture Nate at his chair as he knelt before him. That was an image he would very much like to bring to life.
“I wouldn’t mind getting more familiar with your office,” he assured Nate.
Images of Beau stretched across his desk danced in Nate's mind, his body responding quite favourably to the thought and the continued press of his boyfriend's body against his own. "That does seem equitable, doesn't it?" he murmured, amused, even as his hips pushed up against Beau again. Walking was likely to have an edge of discomfort to it, but he supposed that would only amp up the anticipation.
His fingers dug in again, his hands pulling Beau down against him briefly before guiding him off his lap again. "Shall we, then?" he suggested.
The way he'd set the club up meant they were able to travel through hidden corridors to get to his office, avoiding patrons and employees both, stepping into his office through a concealed door spelled to only open for him. The main entrance to the office was always locked if he wasn't in the room, and so the office was empty, as expected.
"Now, where were we…?" he said, pushing Beau against his desk as his lips lowered to his again.
Damn, it was a wrench to pull himself away from Nate, but Beau knew it would be worth it. He followed quite obediently, though with a little personal discomfort, half-hard as he was. Beau found himself particularly grateful for the hidden corridors, suspecting that they were of Nate’s own design and not an original feature of the building.
His hands greedily found Nate again as he was pressed against the desk, head tipped up to meet the kiss. “I think that was it,” he agreed, hands sliding over the taller man’s arse. In their embrace, Beau was pushed further against the desk and he shifted to sit upon it, legs parted to draw his partner in closer.
“I can see myself becoming very well acquainted with this room,” Beau murmured.
Nate nestled himself between Beau's legs, humming against his lips at his words. He looked forward to them both becoming very well acquainted with all of their important, semi-private places. This office. Beau's work trailer. His flat. Beau's house. Though they'd done pretty well with those last two thus far.
He loved how in tune they were physically, but what he loved more was the deeper connection they seemed to have. There was no doubt in his mind that he was falling hard for Beau, that a part of him had started falling over a decade prior, when they'd been fumbling teenagers sneaking around. It was a long time coming, but as he shifted Beau on the table, nimble fingers removing their clothes one item at a time, Nate knew he wouldn't have come to this moment any other way.
Words didn't seem to matter as much as he set about showing Beau how much he cared, how much he wanted him.