Never in a million years had Jacob expected Connor to actually show up to his Dance Dance Revolution showdown. He had invited him as a joke and expected it to stay that way but no, Connor said he'd be there and that just made it all a little... different. Connor knew Jacob's friends would be there so did this make things a little more official between them? God, he didn't know. As good as he felt whenever he was with him, he always had one foot out the door, mentally prepared for the fun to end. He was more than a little jittery when he got to the arcade and three drinks later he was only a little less so. He was finishing that third drink when Sage and Joss showed up and he waved at them from the small bar, motioning at them to come over. They probably wanted some drinks too, though Jacob didn't think they needed it quite as badly as he did.
“Jacob!” Sage cheered as he approached the bar, his hands thrown up in the air dramatically. “You ready to get your ass handed to you?” He wasn’t really that confident that he’d be able to beat Jacob, he was pretty much shit at the dancing games, but that didn’t stop him from a bit of trash talk. They were there to have fun, after all, and Jocelyn would get to laugh her ass off at both of them. Actually, it wouldn’t surprise him if she ended up beating them both. Either way, it promised to be a good time and Sage was ready for it.
Jocelyn figured she would have a lot more fun with this if she was drinking first, so she followed Sage to the bar, more than ready to order a beer. She smiled at Jacob and leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek. "You've started without us," she said, motioning to his drink. "We'll need to catch up." Alcohol would probably throw her balance off, but that was okay. This was an arcade and nothing in this place was meant to be taken seriously. At least she hoped none of it would be taken seriously. Some people got pretty into their games.
"I'd like to see you try," Jacob told Sage with a grin before kissing Jocelyn back, humming softly. "And yeah I started without you, I'm all jittery and shit, I'm sure it's adorable." Not because of the dancing and he didn't want them to think he was being weird about that so he added, with just a little wince, "So uh, Connor might drop by. My sexy doctor guy? I bet you're dying to meet him." That warranted another sip of his drink and he took one a little too eagerly.
Sage was just about to tease Jacob about being wound up about the game when Jacob continued on and Sage’s brows shot up in surprise. “Sexy doctor is coming to watch you dance your ass off?” he asked with a grin. “And we get to meet him? Does that, like, make him boyfriend official?” He was mostly teasing, but at the same time, wasn’t that a big step? Meeting the friends? It was one step away from meeting the family in his mind. No wonder Jacob was nervous. Sage would’ve been downing drinks if it were him too.
Jocelyn's lips parted in surprise before she grinned. "We will make sexy doctor guy feel totally comfortable, I promise." It was kind of a strange place to meet one's friends... an arcade playing a dancing game? But this guy could be totally into it, for all she knew. She supposed she just imagined older, hot doctors to be... sophisticated? And DDR was so not sophisticated. "You're nervous," she told Jacob. "You shouldn't be. It's just us. And please god, do not think this is like your boyfriend meeting your parents or I'm going to have to leave right now," she teased.
Jacob laughed at both of them and did not bother correcting Jocelyn that it was the total opposite of that since he was introducing his vanilla friends to his dom, god it was a little too weird. Boyfriend official... It made him want to drink more so he did, but just a little since he was well ahead of his friends. "I swear I didn't think he'd want to come, I mean, look at this place." He did a little motion around and shook his head. "Crazy man. You guys ready to dance?"
“If he can’t handle you while you drunken DDR, he doesn’t deserve you when you’re a crazy sex machine,” Sage snickered. It really was cute how nervous Jacob was. Sage wasn’t sure if that was because he was super into the guy and wanted to impress him, or if he was worried about making a fool of himself, or what, but he was sure it’d be fine. Unless he was worried about them running Connor off. If that was the case, Sage would need to be on his best behavior. “Let’s do this,” he said, waving down the bartender. “‘Course, if you beat me when I’m sober, I’m never going to hear the end of it.”
The fact that Jacob invited Connor at all probably spoke volumes. It was a bit strange how quickly Jacob seemed to fall for this guy, but that was just Jocelyn's own experience with guys talking. She was usually wary and a bit standoffish about guys she started seeing casually, just in case. Obviously not everyone was like her, but it made Jocelyn wonder. "Let's dance," Jocelyn agreed before waiting with Sage to get her beer. With her drink in hand she followed Jacob through the arcade. "Look at this place," she said. "Why couldn't they have fun shit like this when we were in high school? It would have been something else to keep us busy, at least, instead of us getting into trouble everywhere else."
"I'm not sure we could have afforded hanging out here all the time," Jacob said with a shrug though it would have been nice to have somewhere to go on weekends back then. Maybe then they wouldn't have been in the tunnels. He quickly shook that thought away because that was the last thing he wanted to think about tonight and he was just tipsy enough that he could distract himself from it. He was also tipsy enough that once they got to actually dancing he stopped being worried because he couldn't really focus on more than one thing at a time. It was hilarious, doing DDR with his friends, and he and Jocelyn were in the lead with the most points.
It came close but Jacob won and he bounced around in little circles, waving his hands triumphantly until he noticed Connor was sitting by the bar. It made him laugh again, a faint blush coloring his cheeks, thankfully hidden in the dim glow of lights from the machine. "Connor's here," he announced before sashaying over to the bar and flopping down on the seat next to Connor. "Hey," he murmured, glancing at his friends coming after him. "Sorry we started without you. Did you want to dance?" He didn't think Connor had wanted to play but that was beside the point. Maybe he had moves!
Being invited to an arcade for a date was both amusing and made Connor feel kind of old. It had been a couple of decades since he’d really been in one, and they were of course extremely different than they’d been in his day. It made him very aware of the age gap between Jacob and himself, but it wasn’t necessarily a turn off. Connor really liked the guy, even outside of the bedroom, and he felt like they had an understanding of where they both currently were and what they needed. He hoped Jacob’s friends got that too, but even if they didn’t ... oh well. He’d arrived at the arcade a bit late on purpose, wanting the three friends to settle in before he showed up to upset the balance. They were all easy to spot when he walked in. He’d had to look up what DDR even was, and it proved even more amusing to watch in person. Connor got himself a drink and had a seat, then grinned when Jacob eventually spotted him and came over. “Hey,” he greeted back with a little half-grin. “See ... I would, but I would rather not completely humiliate myself just yet.”
True to his word, Sage was shit at DDR and he only got worse the more he had to drink. He felt like he was dancing just fine— he just wasn’t doing the moves that the game wanted him to do. It didn’t really surprise him that it ended up being Jacob against Jocelyn in the end, but the point had been to have fun. If he’d been serious about trying to win, he would’ve needed to practice and remain sober, and even then it was unlikely. “Only one major humiliation a night,” Sage said as he joined Jacob and Connor. “I’ve already claimed it. You’ll have to wait your turn.” He’d known Jacob’s boyfriend was older, but he was still a touch surprised at the age difference. Connor wasn’t old enough to be his dad, but he was close. But he was also hot, he’d give him that, even if he wasn’t Sage’s type. Sage offered his hand as he smiled. “Sage Monroe.”
Jocelyn would have definitely preferred dancing in a club than an arcade, but she would take what she could get, and at least she was having fun. The alcohol helped, and the company. This place might not have been there when they were teenagers, but it certainly made her feel young again, especially being with Sage and Jacob. By the time they finished Jocelyn was ready for another drink. She followed them back to the bar and watched Jacob head for an older guy who was clearly watching them. Sexy doctor man. He was so not what Jocelyn was expecting. But he was definitely good looking and Jocelyn offered him a smile. "Jocelyn. We've heard a lot about you," she said, shooting Jacob an amused look.
"No," Jacob said mock-grumpily at her. "They haven't heard anything about you," he corrected her with a little grin at Connor who looked good enough to eat and Jacob had the sudden urge to just leave with him now. It would be a dick move he guessed and Connor had only just gotten there. He wasn't as nervous about it now that Connor was actually there, go figure, but it still felt weird. Like two very different worlds clashing.
As Jacob’s friends started to come over, Connor stood up from his bar stool. It was a high stool so there wasn’t much of a difference in height, but it just seemed more polite. He felt weird about this too, odd and out of place in front of this trio of young good-looking people, but Connor did his best to brush it off. He'd been invited, he couldn’t change his age, and if Jacob was ready for this, then so was he. “Connor Ford,” he introduced himself, shaking Sage’s hand with a smile first, and then nodding at Jocelyn. He gave an amused huff and a crooked grin at Jacob’s protest and took a sip of his drink, then flashed them all a smile. “I’ve got the advantage then, I’ve heard quite a bit about you two. Everybody looked pretty good up there, you’re all light on your feet.” Ugh, did that make him sound old already? Probably. He kept in good shape, but all that bouncing around made his knees hurt in sympathy.
“Ooo, that can’t be good,” Sage laughed. “Only good things, right? None of the bad?” He wasn’t really worried about what Jacob might have told Connor, not yet. They were too new a relationship for any of the really complicated things to have come out, if they ever would. Sage knew that, for himself, he hadn’t been close enough to anyone to ever talk about what had happened down at the tunnels and he was starting to think he never would be. Maybe darkness like that needed to stay a secret for good. “So where are you from? What brought you to Point Pleasant? How did you guys meet?” he rattled off with a smile. “You already know things, but I’ve gotta catch up.”
Connor knew more than Sage and Jocelyn probably suspected or might be comfortable with. But what was shared was shared, and he wasn’t about to start bringing up their friend's death upon first meeting, right there in an arcade. It was enough to know they were all close friends and they were important to Jacob. “I’m actually from Portland, here on some family business with my parents, and we, ah ... met online,” he answered Sage’s questions in the same rapid-fire manner. Connor only hesitated on the last one, not sure if Jacob wanted to reveal to his friends that he was on Grindr and FetLife. “We actually talked a bit back in Portland, and then ran into each other here. Serendipity and all that.” Connor offered them a smile before taking a sip of his drink.
Jocelyn hid her subtle smirk behind her beer bottle as she took another sip. This conversation could go south real quick if she wanted it to. Not really in a bad way, but in one that would probably embarrass Jacob so she let go the urge to tease them. She knew she sure as hell wouldn't want them teasing her about certain things. Her brows rose in mild surprise at that last bit of revelation, as she couldn't remember if Jacob had told her that part. "Wow, and now you're both here? That's... an insane coincidence," she said. "How long has your family lived here?"
Connor had smiled and nodded a bit in agreement that it was an insane coincidence ... though he’d heard of stranger. The second part had him squinting one side of his face as he thought. “Oh, uh ... over twenty years,” he answered Joss. “And it’s just my parents.” They’d had to leave Portland because of the state of their house, and in the ensuing twenty years they’d just made another huge mess, this one worse than the first. “How about you two?” Connor asked, glancing between Jocelyn and Sage. “I know Jacob’s doing the prodigal son returning thing ... have you stayed in the area?” He just sounded mildly curious, but it was hard to be peppered with questions and not lob some of them back.
Jacob had made it pretty clear with mumbled protests that no, he hadn't been talking about anyone to anyone and and no, nobody knew anything. Now he actually spoke up, gesturing between his two friends. "He stayed, she didn't. Joss went to Los Angeles for a while, I wasn't too sure I'd see her again." But here they were, both in Point Pleasant at the same time. If anyone else had shown up Jacob would have felt weird about it but for now it just looked like a happy coincidence, or at least he tried to tell himself that.
“I tried to leave a few times, but this place just kept pulling me back,” Sage said with a shrug. “My family’s all here and we’re kind of close. If my music ever takes off, I’m sure I’ll leave, but until then it just hasn’t worked out.” He couldn’t tell Connor how leaving had resulted in horrible nightmares, the sort that made him even feel crazy during the day. It felt like he was losing his mind when he was away, so it just made more sense to stay. Maybe someday he’d figure it out, or he’d have someone there to help him get past it, but that day hadn’t come. “It’s great having them both back though. I keep hoping they’ll stay for a while.” Every day that passed that looked to be more and more true. He just didn’t want to get his hopes up.
Jocelyn wasn't overly surprised when Jacob answered for them. He was pouty, but it wasn't in a irritable sort of way, so she didn't let it bother her. "I wasn't too sure I would be back either." She shrugged. "But it felt like the right time, and I hadn't seen my parents since last Christmas, so here I am. It's an amazing coincidence that Jacob is back at the same time, but I'm not complaining. It's nice to have friends still in town." Especially with how others remembered them. If Sage and Jacob hadn't been there, Jocelyn wasn't sure she would have stayed very long. "I know you said you're here on family business, but you work here now too, don't you? Does that mean you're here for good?"
“Yeah that sounds like ... really good timing,” Connor commented with a faint chuckle. Just like his and Jacob’s timing had been good. They’d all just gotten rather lucky, hadn’t they? He hadn’t come very far, but Jocelyn coming in from all the way across the country at the same time Jacob was also in town was pretty serendipitous. The world was full of weird coincidences, so he didn’t think too much more of it. “Well ... I don’t know about ‘for good,’” he answered Jocelyn’s question with a shoulder shrug. “But several months at least, and I still gotta eat. The hospital needed a doctor, so it worked out.” He was enjoying working there so far, Mercy was a pretty good place for a town this size. Connor sipped his drink and glanced at Jacob.
Jacob went visibly and almost comically wide-eyed at the 'for good' part because fuck he hoped not; nobody should stay in Point Pleasant for long, it just wasn't good for anyone's health. Not that he wasn't happy that Connor was there for now but that was an entirely selfish thing. "So," he said, glancing back at Connor when he felt him looking, then slyly looking at his friends. "I won, someone should buy me a drink." He was a little drunk already but one more wouldn't hurt and he was actually good about knowing his limits.
“I got you, twinkle toes,” Sage laughed, flagging down the bartender for Jacob and himself. “But only ‘cause you’re way better at that game than I expected. Now I’m gonna have to spend my milk money down here practicing for our rematch.” He knew Jacob had had plenty to drink, but he wasn’t driving and it wasn’t like he was falling over drunk. That would have made his loss especially humiliating. And if Jacob wanted any more after that, he could get his boyfriend to buy for him.
Jocelyn took another drink, arching one brow briefly since she thought Jacob's hot doctor should be the one buying the drink, but a win was a win and better their money than hers! "I think I'm all danced out," Jocelyn said. "Which is a sad reminder that I need to get back to the gym. I've been stupidly lazy since coming back home." She was a bit aimless at the moment, but it seemed she wasn't the only one, so she didn't feel too bad about it. "I'll get one of you to challenge me in air hockey before we go, though."
Connor already planned to buy a round for all of them at least once before they left, though part of him fretted that might come off as a little too Old Guy Trying To Be Cool. Generation gaps were a minefield. But he had the money for it, and they were all people just trying to have a good time, so why not ply them with more alcohol? He flashed a grin at Jocelyn. “Air hockey’s much more my speed,” he said. “I’ll take any of you on in that. Or skee ball.” Video games hadn’t completely missed him in childhood, Connor had spent his fair share of time in arcades. They had just changed a lot.
"Confession," Jacob murmured. "DDR is the only game I'm good at so no, I'm not taking any of you on in air hockey, thanks." He shifted his body closer to Connor because it was hard not to, especially when he was drunk and Connor was right there with all that magnetic pull he always had on him. He made little kissy faces at Sage when he got his drink, then grinned at him, obviously feeling a little calmer. The alcohol helped. "I'll take you on in DDR anytime though, come hang out with me when I'm working!"
“How the fuck did you get so good at DDR?” Sage laughed, shaking his head, the red fringe falling in his face before he pushed it back again. “I can do air hockey. But if Jacob’s out, then we can’t play two on two, so maybe skee ball. I used to be good at that.” When he was twelve. Sage had no idea if that skill still remained, but it would be fun to find out. “I just need to redeem myself a little from that performance.” He’d be best if they could play PacMan or one of the racing games, but those weren’t made for four people. He had a feeling that they could take over the skee ball station and no one would argue.
"I don't care what we do, as long as we do something that doesn't require a lot of dancing," Jocelyn said with a laugh. They were spending the evening in an arcade, which wasn't entirely her speed, but she was hanging out with friends, so she was at least enjoying herself. She pointed her beer at Connor. "We'll get in a game of air hockey before we go, since that's the only game I know I can win and I need to make sure I leave tonight with some dignity."
“Oh you know you can win? We’ll see about that,” Connor countered with another grin. “Deal then, skee ball and then I get to embarrass this lovely lady at the air hockey table. And Jacob --” He turned to look at his boy, the smile turning even warmer around the edges. “-- Can be our cheerleader-slash-drink-boy.” Connor lifted a hand to clap him lightly on the back of the shoulder, then slid it in to squeeze the back of his neck. It was an affectionate gesture, but it also sent a small thrill of arousal through him. He wasn’t sure how much Jacob had told these friends about their relationship dynamic, and he’d coached himself on not getting too handsy in public, but Connor couldn’t resist a little something.
Jacob felt something melt at that particular touch, like something shifted inside of him, warm and heavy. He glanced at Connor with a little twinkle in his eye, whatever joking retort he'd had to his words fading away to nothing. He should have worried about the kind of power Connor seemed to have over him but he trusted him so he just let himself feel it all, content to let his friends continue the banter without him for now.
“I clearly need to play the best game of skee ball I’ve ever played,” Sage grinned. He’d let Jocelyn and Connor duke it out on the air hockey table. He could chill with Jacob, who looked happier than Sage had ever seen him. It was nice to see him like that, like the little touch from Connor was enough to make him light up. They could all use that kind of happiness in their lives, in his opinion. They already had their fair share of darkness. “You’d make a cute cheerleader,” he teased Jacob. “We need to get you some pom poms.”
"Well, we can stand around and talk about it, or we can do it," Jocelyn said, amused. She wasn't very skilled at skee ball but she would play anyway and have fun. "I would suggest we put money on it, but seeing as how we're all broke, let's just say loser gets the next round of drinks." She was betting Doctor McSexy had plenty of money, but she wasn't going to risk losing her miniscule bank account if he was actually good at air hockey.
“Sounds fair,” Connor agreed with a cocky sort of smile. He fully planned on paying for the next round whether he won or not, but they didn’t have to know that yet. He was far from broke, but being a gracious winner was better than looking like he was trying to buy their approval or something. “Let’s get to it then.” He gave the back of Jacob’s neck another firm squeeze and then let his hand drop as they all headed off to enjoy the rest of their evening with a bit of friendly, immature competition.