Declan and Jack; Release party for Stunning Magazine; NYC; Friday night.
Declan had dressed in one of his best suits, but had left the tie and the top few buttons of his crisp white shirt unbuttoned for the party, and he was glad he had. It was wall to wall people inside the club and the temperature was quickly rising due to body heat, or the half naked pictures of Jack that were everywhere. He was proud, of himself and of Jack, and judging by the noise he was already hearing Stunning was going to do as well as Smashing, if not better.
"What do you think?" he asked, turning to Jack.
"This is insane," Jack said, looking around the room in awe. He'd asked Declan to take him shopping because God knew Jack didn't own anything nice enough to wear to a place like this. So he was dressed in a pair of black slacks that fit him in all the right places, a crisp white dress shirt and - because he was Jack and had to add his own style - he wore a vest that helped to show his narrow waist. The buttons on the shirt both at neck and wrist were undone and a few of his necklaces showed as well as a wrist band or two. And as usual, odd though the outfit might be, he made it work.
Declan smiled. "It's all for you. I mean sure, it's under the pretense of being the magazine, but notice how many people have actually asked about the publication and how many are talking about you. You ready for fame, baby?" he teased, his hand going to Jack's waist without thought.
Jack looked around the room, seeing all the eyes on him, knowing they were talking about him. He was nervous as hell but if there was one thing Jack was good at it was pretending to have more confidence than he did. So he relaxed and gave those looking his way a bit of a wicked grin.
"Oh yeah," he said to Declan and turned to look at him, eyes softening.
Declan smiled in return, his own eyes going soft as his arm wound tighter around him. "You're going to be brilliant. I promise."
Jack's arm started to go around Declan but he hesitated as he realised a few people were really watching them closely now. He smiled and casually moved out of Declan's embrace to snag two drinks from a waiter walking by.
"They're watching us," he said softly, handing Declan one glass. "Very closely." Not that Jack minded of course. If he'd have his way he'd kiss Declan right there in front of all of them.
"Oh. Right." He put his hands in his pocket and accepted the other drink from Jack, brow crinkled slightly. It was getting harder and harder to pretend with Jack while out in public, to not touch him when all he really wanted to do was kiss him. There was a brush at his arm and a shapely brunette pressed herself against his side. He recognized her easily. Six or seven years ago, he'd asked her to marry him. What the fuck had he been thinking?
"Hello, Sabrina," he said and took a step away. "How are you?"
"Dec," she pouted. "You never call anymore. You moved so far away to that big City and nobody ever hears boo out of you. Excellent choice on the cover model, by the way," she said as if Jack wasn't standing right there. "Did Sterrin pick him out? She always did have an eye for the pretty ones, the love."
"Ah, no. I found him," he said as he put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Sabrina, this is Jack Doyle. Jack, this is Sabrina Livingston."
"Pleasure to meet you," Jack said, holding out a hand to her and smiling. Inside though he wanted to wipe that haughty look off her face.
Sabrina looked at Jack and then at the way Declan's hand rested on his shoulder. She'd seen them touching earlier and even if it was nothing she'd always been insanely jealous of anyone that had recieved any of Declan's attention other than her.
"My pleasure," Sabrina said, taking Jack's hand just a hair short of long enough to be polite before turning back to Declan. "You know, when I heard about the magazine I figured Sterrin had to be behind it. I mean, Declan McNamara doing a women's magazine?" she laughed. "Please. But at least you managed to get an interesting model. He's got everyone talking."
As if she finally remembered Jack was there, she turned to him and offered a wan smile. "Nice vest."
"Yes, well. It's easy to surprise people that think of nothing but themselves," Declan said as he squeezed Jack's shoulder. "It's been nice to see you, Sabrina. We're going to go get something to drink."
Fuck. He should have prepared himself and Jack for the snooty ex factor, he just hadn't thought.
Jack had gone tense under Declan's hand but he caught the jealous look in the woman's eye and so gave her a smirk and a little bow then turned his back on her and walked away with Declan.
"Lovely woman," he said tightly.
"She's a fucking cunt," Declan answered with a growl of anger as he slapped the counter at the bar and asked for two beers. "I'm sorry. Christ. She married an old collegue of mine and I didn't think she'd be here, but she always was a little, uhm, leech-like." He looked at Jack. "I'm sorry, baby."
Jack shrugged. "Don't worry about it." He snorted. "I'm a maintenance man remember? I'm used to being thought of as less than worthy to the rich and famous."
That also infuriated Declan and he turned to look at him. "Well you're not," he said in a quietly angry voice, although the anger wasn't at all directed at Jack, more at the people that used to make up his old world. "You're better than every person in here, okay? Not one of them is as good as you are, and they can kiss our asses."
Jack blinked, surprised by the intensity in Declan's voice. For a second his eyes got a bit over shiney and he blinked. A tear might mess up his eyeliner. "Thanks," he said, voice a little rough and took a steadying sip of his drink.
It made Declan ashamed that he used to fit right in with these people. It angered him, the women he used to imagine himself in love with, and he looked at Jack. "Well, at least I understand now why I had such horrible taste in women. I spent my whole life looking for a Jack, except I was shopping at Vag-Mart."
Jack nearly spit out his beer as he laughed but he managed to swallow the drink. "That was definitely your problem. I mean look at me - " He spread his arms and gave Declan a Look. "Can't beat this, baby."
"No," Declan said, eyes soft and smoothed back Jack's hair. "I really, really can't."
Jack went quiet again at that touch, eyes on Declan. "Dec..."
He took a deep breath. "I don't care," he said softly. Jack was better than these people, all of them, and he didn't give a fuck anymore what they thought. He really couldn't do any better, and he wasn't going to hide it anymore so bitches like Sabrina wouldn't find out.
Jack's eyes widened in surprise but pleasure, happiness and love filled them quickly. He glanced to the side - they were drawing quite a lot of looks. Owner of the magazine and cover model, both men, and one of them everyone had been sure was straight. And he knew there were cameras everywhere. But when his eyes fell back on Declan, Jack just relaxed and smiled and tilted his head a bit into the touch.
He picked up Jack's hand and kissed it. "I love you," he said to him. "And I don't care if any of these assholes know it."
There were some that were going to make a big, hairy assed deal out of this, he knew. But there were others, maybe even more, that would support him or at least wouldn't care. "Those that mind don't matter and those that matter don't mind."
Jack squeezed his hand. "I love you too," he said, the words coming easier every time he said them. Oh and there started the whispers, he could hear them, and he felt Sabrina's eyes burning a hole in the side of his head.
"Good," he said and turned to face the crowd. People were staring, gaping, and he felt his insides twist with aprehension, but he was in this. He was commited to it, and he wasn't going to let Jack down anymore. With more nerve than he actually felt, he put a hand on Jack's lower back.
"Hello, Craig," he said to the first collegue he saw. "Meet Jack Doyle. He's got the whole party talking, doesn't he? I think he's going to be <i>huge</i>."
"Uh, well," Craig stuttered, looking between the two men. "You, ah, do have an eye for talent."
Declan smiled. "Good taste always goes both ways doesn't it? Have a good night," he said and patted Craig on the shoulder.
Jack just smiled and tucked himself into Declan's side. Oh yeah he was bound to get the 'slept your way to the top' shit but that he could deal with. Knowing that Declan had just basically come out to everyone here - and it would be all over the gossip magazines soon - yeah Jack could deal with just about anything they threw at him.
"Sabrina's about to have a conniption fit," he said to Declan and then caught the woman's eye and gave her a very smug look.
He met the woman's gaze from across the room and Jack wasn't lying. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked near a heart attack, but he didn't care.
"Sabrina can kiss my ass," he said bravely. His hands shook a little and he felt like he might vomit, but he was doing this and he wasn't going to let anyone psyche him out.
Jack's arm went around him and held him tight. "No one's every done anything like this for me, Dec," he said seriously. "And I don't mean the magazine, this party. You - I don't know what I did to deserve you but I'm going to do everything I can to make you proud. And these people? They can't touch us. You and me together and accomplish anything."
He smiled a bit and nodded. "We can," he said and then leaned in. "And how much do you want to bet this sells more magazines than anything? Not to toot my own horn, but I think you told me that first night at Babylon that few things get women hotter than watching two hot guys make out."
He was teasing, trying to lighten the mood and distract himself.
Jack smiled and leaned in a bit as well. "Oh it'll sell. And if I kiss you right now those cameras are going to go off like mad, they'll sell gossip mags and then those people will be scooping up your magazine's as fast as they hit the shelves." His eyes dropped to Declan's mouth.
"Wouldn't want to cock block the sales, would we," he said as his mouth moved a little closer to Jack's. "And I've been dying to kiss you since we got here."
Jack smiled and raised his hand to cup Declan's jaw. "Love you," he murmured against his lips then kissed him, deep and obviously with great affection and, as predicted, the flashes began going off.
Declan kissed him back, hands holding his hips and ignoring the murmurs and startled laughter. When it broke, he smiled, eyes only on Jack. "Love you too."
He turned to look at the party, daring someone to say something. This was his magazine, his party, his booze, his fucking life. Anyone that didn't like it could get the fuck out. He knew it wouldn't be quite so cut and dry outside of here, but in here, his power over everything added to his bravery.
Tomorrow they'd worry about the consequences. Tonight it was time for a party.