byflame (byflame) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2020-11-28 04:34:00 |
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Entry tags: | #may 2018, reza, reza x shane, shane |
Who: Reza & Shane
Where: Overlook, The Marina
When: May, part 1
Without someone there to play cool in front of, Shane had to take some time to let the bad part of everything Jane told him sink in. It went beyond one of their powerful allies being a preacher - which honestly made Shane wonder how he'd get on with a gay guy and a teenage girl whose powers literally revolved around sins. No, that was peanuts compared to the sudden knowledge that there seemed to be more AIR facilities around the country - maybe around the world - than just their one local place of evil experimentations. That felt a bit too huge now that he let it sink in and he sat in the car in the garage for a few minutes before he headed into the house. Reza was home; unless he'd gone out running or something, his car was in the garage, but it might take a while to find him in a house this size so maybe that was a small downside to the luxury of a villa.
Shane grabbed a drink before heading outside. The weather was amazing so he suspected Reza might be getting some sun and right he was. He would have been oh so tempted to join too, Reza was so very nearly naked and lost in his book, Shane would have sprawled all over him if it wasn't for the simple fact that he was in the middle of the god damn pool, lounging contently on a pool floater. Fucking great.
After letting himself enjoy the view for a few moments he strolled closer to the pool - just not too close. It was fun to watch people who didn't know they were being watched, no pretenses there. "Look at you, awash in decadent pleasure," he drawled and fuck, this guy was going to be the death of him, his light brown skin glistening in the sunlight, his swim shorts hiked up high showing off those slender thighs. Stupid fucking water getting in the way. Shane swallowed down some bourbon, it helped a little with his mood and his nerves, of course he had known there was a pool but it had been covered when they got there and he had no intentions of going anywhere near it. Any closer than this, at least. "You're not scared of ruining your book?"
Temperatures tended not to bother Reza too much, unless they were extreme -- which was how he stayed comfortable most of the time in Chicago. Some might think it was still too chilly in Maine in May to be lounging in a pool, but the sun was high and bright, and Reza wanted to relax and work on his tan. Floating around in the water was more fun than taking one of the lounge chairs on concrete, and Reza had gotten nicely engrossed in the book he was working on. If one couldn’t relax and read on a weird, spontaneous vacation to a magical town, what was the point? He was rather enjoying having no obligations except to himself.
Reza caught movement out of the corner of his eye so Shane’s voice didn’t startle him, but he didn’t look up until the other man spoke. He’d been off on some of that mysterious business that Reza was trying hard not to be too curious about. His head lifted and a dark brow rose over the top of his sunglasses. “Not really,” he answered with a little half-smile. “Unless you plan on coming in and splashing around.” It was just a paperback, Reza was sure he could toss it onto dry land without too much trouble. His interest had already shifted to Shane anyway, looking handsome as always, and extra posh with a poolside drink in his hand. “The water’s a little cold but it’s tolerable if you do want to join me,” Reza added as more of an invitation.
"Nah," Shane replied and strolled over to one of the chairs Reza had deemed less fun, flopping down there contently. "You and your book are safe." As was the case too damn often with Reza he wondered if he should just tell him the truth so that swimming pools were off the table for good; that urge to just blurt it out it came too easily and he had to remind himself of the fact he did not enjoy showing weakness and giving people an easy way to hurt him later. "I'll just enjoy the view for a while," he added instead, raising his glass in a little toast to Reza who absolutely was the view he intended on enjoying.
It wasn’t a huge pool, but it was big enough that Shane felt too far away when he settled down. Reza marked his place in the book and let it rest against his chest as he used his hands to paddle his way closer to where Shane sat. Once he was at the edge and holding on, Reza tossed his book up onto the concrete and smiled at him. “I’ll bring the view in closer, then,” he said. He studied Shane’s face for a moment behind his sunglasses, trying to suss out what kind of mood he was in. Things had been running smoothly between them so far on this trip, but he still had no idea what kind of business Shane was dealing with here, but he knew it might end up being upsetting. Reza at least wanted to make his ‘home’ life easy. “You back for the day?” he asked.
Shane definitely perked up a little at getting his view closer and watching Reza so effortlessly glide closer to him made him kind of wish he didn't hate water so much. It was visually pleasing for sure and Reza made it look even more so. "Yeah," he replied to the question. "All yours for the rest of the day if you want me." He wanted to go track down the preacher but that could wait until tomorrow, maybe he'd look him up online first, see what that church was all about and when it was open. The last thing he wanted was to walk in on a sermon and have a bunch of people mistake him for a new member. He wasn't the only one he wanted to meet either but since there was no active plan on where to go next he figured he had time. It was so much easier to hide out here in Overlook with the guy he was so desperately trying to think of as just a fun fucktoy he'd brought along to alleviate boredom. "There's a bar downtown that looks kinda good, figured we could go there tonight."
Reza let out a little laugh, like it was ridiculous to suggest he didn’t want Shane around for the rest of the day ... that might be the case after they’d been here for a while, but he didn’t feel like he wanted space at all yet. If anything, he’d kind of missed the guy every so often while he’d been gone, in a way that was more than just being bored. Reza spread his legs a bit to idly dip one foot into the water. “Sounds fun,” he said. “I did some exploring earlier today ... found this incredible little tea and herb shop, it looks like it’s been there for ages. The smells? Ohmygod.” He chuckled. The place had also been full of magic, the sense of it humming through the very air. The girl behind the counter had seemed full of magic too, but Reza hadn’t worked up the nerve to ask her any questions by the time he was checking out. Maybe he would go back, but for now he wanted to keep a somewhat low profile. “A bar sounds fun though. Bet the pier is gorgeous at night, too.”
As Reza spoke it was hard not to think of Jane's 'accusation' that he was more than just a fuck buddy. Sure, Shane could listen to him talk forever, lulled by his voice and so easily cheered up by him that maybe Jane was onto something and he kind of resented her for it. He needed this to be easy and light and insignificant the way he needed everything else to be. It was just hard to be upset by it when Reza was talking, that little exclamation over something as simple as a herb shop putting a smile on Shane's face despite whatever negativity he'd been feeling just minutes ago. "Did you buy any tea?" he asked with some amusement and maybe that was something he should get into. Tea was healthy and he did like healthy stuff, he just rarely bothered with anything but booze and water.
“How could I not buy any tea?” Reza answered with a lazy little grin. “I got some weird flavors to try, and some more standard stuff that just smelled fucking delicious ... do you drink tea?” He was pretty sure he’d never seen Shane drink anything in the morning other than water and coffee. Tea was such an embedded part of Reza’s upbringing and he still loved it, he just didn’t make it for himself as often as he probably ought to. They were on vacation though, so he had plenty of leisurely time in the mornings -- whenever he happened to wake up -- to make a cup of whatever, and he was kind of excited to try what he’d bought at the Castell shop. “I bought some spices too, because this is the whitest, blandest kitchen I’ve ever been in. When we cook, I want it to taste like something.” This was probably a boring ramble, Reza realized, he just knew he couldn’t ask about what Shane had been up to, so he was content to fill time himself.
Shane laughed at the kitchen remark and knew Reza wasn't wrong, he himself was probably super bland and white to match said kitchen but then he didn't cook often, preferring to pay someone else to do all the work. "I'll try some tea," he promised and it was easy if Reza was making it for him, Shane was willing to try a lot of things. "Do you want a drink?" he offered, swirling his own pointedly. "I can bring you something." Reza looked so comfortable right where he was and Shane felt no need to rush him to get out, as long as he kept being chatty and sexy, Shane was good with sitting there and watching him for a while.
“Sure,” Reza said with a grin. He had no idea what time it was, early afternoon? But it didn’t matter much, they were on vacation. Sort of. He was on vacation, and that meant day drinking. Sipping on something tasty and alcoholic while he drifted around the pool and talked to Shane sounded pretty nice. “Just whatever you’re having.”
Shane grinned back at him and finished what was in his glass before he got up. He had a fleeting thought of how nice it would be to grab a floater of his own and spend the afternoon bumping into Reza while getting steadily a little tipsier but the reality of it crashed in too fast for it to be a proper fantasy. It was still water, he still couldn't swim and just thinking about being immersed in it made his stomach twist like he'd just fallen from a great height. "Be right back," he murmured and removed himself and his glass from the poolside for a few minutes. It was good timing, it let him calm down as he poured them drinks and really thought about the fucking pool. He didn't have to go in there, he would never have to go near it. Except now to set Reza's drink down within reach. He had comically stupid thoughts of falling in as he did so, some kind of impossible gymnastic tripping that would fling him into the middle of the pool and it would have made him laugh if it didn't actually make sense to that small part of his brain that was really anxious about it. He wondered if Reza was the type of guy to playfully pull him in. He'd known plenty of guys he'd been wary of because of that sort of behavior but he didn't think Reza was like that. He was playful sometimes though and again Shane's stomach did that stupid thing. He breathed in slowly, held it and then let it out slowly again before heading back outside.
Completely oblivious to his semi-boyfriend’s internal crisis, Reza continued to float in place at the edge of the pool. His eyes were closed for a moment behind his sunglasses while he focused on the warmth of the sun beating down on his skin. He had the stray thought that he would have to tell his friends he’d gone to Maine to get a tan. Reza could already hear their well-meaning warnings about a guy like Shane -- the ones who rushed to spoil you while still skirting any sort of commitment were bad news. He’d heard it all before. Hell, he’d said it before. And maybe they would have a point, but he didn’t feel duped. Going into this eyes-open hadn’t deterred Reza from wanting to see it through. He was along for the ride, even if it ended up sucking. He opened his eyes and smiled as soon as he heard Shane approaching again.
Shane put his drink down close enough for Reza to reach, careful not to do so from comically far away before he retreated to his chair, sprawling comfortably. "You're just a picture perfect of decadence now," he said with a lazy smile, raising his glass in a little toast before reaching in his pocket for his phone. He'd never taken a picture of Reza but that's what normal people did on vacations, wasn't it? Take pictures, keep them even. "Give me your sauciest look," he instructed him as he aimed the camera and zoomed in a little; he really was sitting a little too far away.
Reza thought it was a little odd that Shane put the glass on the ground instead of handing it to him, even though he’d started to lift his arm for it. He didn’t give himself time to think too much about it though, just reached for his drink and then saluted Shane back before he took a sip. The phone coming out made him laugh, but gave him a happy sort of flutter inside at the same time. People generally didn’t take pictures of people they didn’t care about, right? Not without full nudity involved, at least. He got his expression under control and did his best to look sultry toward Shane’s camera. “I totally have to approve that before you post it anywhere, just so we’re clear,” he said once he’d heard the click, grinning again.
"Of course," Shane chuckled though he had no intention of posting it anywhere, most of his social media was as neglected as his messages and mostly used to look up other people. "Don't know why you'd veto it though, you look good." Better than good, good enough that Shane almost wanted to fucking join him so that was nice and absolutely insane. He used the opportunity to connect his phone to the outside bluetooth speaker, putting some nice and mellow electronica on to drown out some of the quiet. "So you're liking it here?" he asked though it certainly looked like the answer was yes. It had only been a few days so it didn't mean Reza wanted to stay a long time but Shane liked to think he wouldn't leave too damn soon.
Reza did his best to exude confidence, but he was aware that he had the kind of face that fell victim to bad angles and lighting fairly easily. He had a very forward-facing business and used social media mainly for work purposes, so he liked to keep the bad shots of him to a minimum. Reza had done enough browsing of Shane’s online presence to know that he didn’t post much at all though, so he wasn’t too worried. The choice of music made him smile before he sipped on his drink some more, his foot idly splashing in the water a bit. “Yeah, it’s really nice so far,” he answered, flashing Shane another smile. “Not the rustic little cabin I pictured, that’s for sure. Feels more like a resort where we’re the only guests, so I feel pretty pampered. What about you? How’s, uh ... well, is everything going okay?” He knew Shane didn’t want to talk about what business had drawn him there, so Reza wasn’t going to ask for details, but he did care about Shane being happy with it or not.
Shane tried to imagine himself in a rustic cabin and utterly failed. He was too hooked on luxury for that sort of living and while he knew he could survive it if he had to, he avoided it at all cost. The question kind of wiped that grin off his face though and he hummed, arching his brows as he thought about it. Was everything going okay? Well, he'd met Jane and not been kidnapped right after so that was a good start he supposed. Again he thought about how Jane wanted to meet Reza and how he was going to avoid that as much as possible, hopefully keep her busy with their own plans and Reza busy shopping in quaint little tea stores. "Going out tomorrow again," he settled for. "Or the next. I need to go online tonight. Or tomorrow." He let out a little laugh at that, well aware he was being dodgy and horribly indecisive. "Everything is peachy." He glanced at his phone again to look at the picture he'd taken and yes, he'd decided to keep it. A nice little memory of a guy pretty enough to make water appealing.
That was indeed a dodgy answer that didn’t really tell Reza anything, and the adjective ‘peachy’ rang pretty hollow ... but he guessed that was what he got for asking questions about the big forbidden topic. He wondered again if Shane would ever tell him what was really going on, and he kind of hoped that they would end up that close over the course of this trip. Feeling like they were too far away from each other, Reza set his book and drink down on the edge of the pool and sat up to slip off of the float without completely dunking himself. He waded through the water to the shallow end and climbed up the steps. The breeze was a little cool against his wet skin, so he went to nab the towel he’d left on another chair and draped it around his shoulders before fetching his drink and plopping down next to Shane. “This is an interesting little town,” he commented. “We should go check out the lighthouse, whenever you’ve got a free day.”
Shane hooked his foot around Reza's chair and pulled it closer with a grin and it was pretty dumb but he was glad he was out of the water even if Reza probably could swim and didn't have Shane's aversion to it. Fear wasn't logical or considerate for that matter. "The lighthouse, huh?" He asked, quirking a brow as he thought about it. When had Jane said it opened again? It didn't sound exciting as such but if they could go up the view would be amazing. "I bet it's haunted. You noticed that? Everything around here is fucking haunted." He hadn't been out and about much but there had been some information online about things to do around town and among them were the witchy and ghostly tours at the museum where they clearly liked playing up the spook factor.
Reza grinned a bit as Shane pulled him closer, and he helped himself to stretching his long legs out over Shane’s lap. They were damp, but he’d get over it. “It’s the biggest phallic symbol in the area, so yeah, the lighthouse,” he said with a bit of cheek, then laughed. “I have noticed that, yeah. It’s kinda like Salem, only less well known, I guess. Work with what you’ve got to draw in the tourists and all that.” Maybe it was boring to Shane, but it interested Reza only because he could feel the magic here. It kept popping up in curious places as he wandered around, and it made him wonder if the history of this town was witch-heavy. He hadn’t read up on much of it yet, but all the signs and pamphlets for ghost tours and the like made him want to know more. If there was truth underneath the kitsch ... he wanted to learn more.
"Well, when you put it that way," Shane said and the thought of getting a blowjob inside a giant phallic symbol crossed his mind. He didn't know if it was at all realistic but it was fun to think about. The place would at least be good for a workout if they were allowed to go to the top and Shane did like a good workout. He idly brushed his fingers over Reza's damp legs. "Should've called this place Little Salem," he muttered because knowing what he knew, this place wasn't all that pleasant, appearances aside. "They say they burned witches here too." So he hadn't really read up on that but he remembered the story from when he was a kid and had seen mentions on it when he was house hunting online. The witches of Point Pleasant. He'd scoff at it but it would be kind of hypocritical of him to not believe in magic when he knew what else was out there.
Just hearing Shane say the word ‘witches’ put a little tingle in Reza’s stomach. The man had his secrets, but so did Reza. He hadn’t slipped up again on manipulating sound while they were having sex, but it was likely to happen again and Reza had wondered more and more if he should just be honest with Shane. Maybe he would get some honestly back. But the fear of being called crazy and sent home was still very real. He hadn’t sussed out yet how much of a believer in things Shane was, and Reza wasn’t ready to blow up this thing between them. “Truly, a bright and fun vacation spot,” Reza said with an ironic chuckle. He leaned forward and hooked his hand behind Shane’s neck to pull him in for a kiss, since they hadn’t done that yet and it was a good distraction. “I’m having a good time though,” he murmured as reassurance. “‘Specially with you.”
Shane could already feel how much his mood was improving, just from that kiss and Reza's honey smooth voice. "Thanks for coming," he said quietly and yet again he'd made an impulsive decision he didn't regret so how was that for learning a lesson. Sometimes he had a feeling that when life did teach him a lesson it'd be a big one, a final one so not really much of a lesson at all. "C'mere," he drawled, tugging on Reza to come join him on his chair - on his lap, to be more specific. He'd always been particular to that, loving the weight of someone in his arms and Reza always fit there so damn nicely.
Reza had already been in a good mood, so all of this was just making it even better. He chuckled and obliged Shane’s urging, moving his legs down to shift over onto Shane’s lap. Slipping an arm around his shoulders, drink still in his other hand, Reza settled with a little smile stuck on his face. It was a surprisingly comfortable spot, but being pressed against Shane in any way always felt good. Reza drifted his fingers through the back of Shane’s hair, gazing at him and marveling yet again at just how beautiful he was. “So you wanna go to a bar tonight, huh?” he murmured. “I’m struggling to imagine what the nightlife crowd is like in this place.”
Shane briefly closed his eyes and tilted his head back at that touch and oh to just be a cat on someone's lap and be patted for hours. This was a good substitute and he reminded himself he didn't love being on someone's lap as much as he loved having someone on his. He grinned at Reza's question and quirked a brow as he considered it. "Very small," he decided. "And either very quiet or very rowdy drunk bored small town redneck types looking for a fight." He wrinkled his nose at that and laughed. "But this place looked surprisingly classy so let's hope it's somewhere in the middle." He could handle drunk assholes looking for a fight and maybe a small flashy part of him wanted Reza to see that which was... Fucking hell, he definitely felt like peacocking a lot around this guy.
Those two options sounded likely, judging from what Reza had seen of the town so far. He suspected there were more redneck bars in town than classy ones, but with a neighborhood like Overlook in town, surely there was at least one good spot where they wouldn’t be hassled for being together. Maybe it was a stereotype in his own head, but harassment seemed much more likely at some redneck bar. He could hold his own with magic if he absolutely had to, and Reza could tell Shane could get scrappy if he wanted, but they didn’t need that kind of trouble, not on top of whatever else Shane was involved in. “Let’s hope,” he murmured with a little half smile. “We can act classy for a night, I suppose.”
"If we're hard pressed," Shane drawled jokingly back at him. "But we can do whatever the hell we want," he reminded him, arching a brow. "Drink, fight, fuck, act classy, play stupid video games." The bar would be nice for a bit but he was just as content to stay home and save some energy for their lighthouse adventure. They had a lot of booze in the house but Shane wanted to go out for dinner and he was admittedly curious about that bar. He supposed it would all depend on how they felt after they'd eaten, whether they wanted to go straight home or lounge around down town a little longer. A small restless part of him was also wondering if he'd see any familiar faces, people Jane had shown him in his dream out and about in the wild where he could observe them before he approached them.
Reza chuckled and tilted his head to one side, amused at Shane’s wording. “Why waste good fuck energy on fighting?” he mused, giving a lazy sort of grin. “So let’s go get some dinner out, check out your bar ... then we can come home all fueled up.” Reza was rarely opposed to going out, especially when he didn’t have to do any work. They could just enjoy themselves, hopefully in a not-shitty atmosphere. With both of them working and living in the Chicago club scene, Reza was sure they would have some critiques, but he was willing to be surprised. Curling his fingers against the back of Shane’s neck, Reza leaned over to kiss his temple. “I need a shower though, I smell like chlorine.”
Shane indulged himself in touching him before letting him up, grabbing his ass with his free hand and giving it a little squeeze. "Yeah you do," he murmured, but he didn't mind the smell, it vaguely reminded him of something but nothing to do with AIR or, funnily enough, water. "I probably do too now," he added or at least his clothes did but he didn't mind changing into something a little sexier for the night so it made for a good excuse. He had the stray thought that Reza would have made for an amazing sex worker and it was oh so tempting to tell him that, just to see how he'd react. It was all in the delivery of course - it was a compliment in his mind - but he realized he was in no way ready for a negative reaction there, for Reza to either wrinkle his nose in disgust or get actually offended. It was something to keep up his sleeve for later, he supposed, when he was more willing to get hurt but for now that thought stayed with him as he appreciated the way Reza moved off him. "I'll be up in a minute," he told him, lightly swatting his butt just because it was there and in reach.
“Hey you asked for it,” Reza murmured, amused, as he stood up. Shane had wanted him in his lap, after all, wet shorts and all. He didn’t mind the ass slap in the slightest, just sauntered off toward the doors that led inside. Reza paused long enough to finish off his drink in the kitchen and leave the glass by the sink, then made his way upstairs. He stripped in the master bathroom, hung his trunks up, and started the hot water in the shower. He was figuring by the time he got washed and freshly shaved, blow dried his hair and got dressed, it would be around the right time for them to leave for dinner, maybe with another cocktail first. He’d been enjoying the food in this town so far, there was plenty of seafood around, and even the diner was tasty, but the best part about it was there never seemed to be a wait time at any restaurant they went to. It was so different than Chicago. Reza grabbed the shampoo to start getting clean.
Shane hadn't exactly been wearing uncomfortable clothes when he went to see Jane but he still liked to think of it as changing into something more comfortable for the evening and Reza was right, he'd brought the chlorine on himself and didn't regret it for a second. Putting the pool cover in place made him feel better though he wasn't really at ease with it until it was fully sealed and the mechanical whirring had stopped and while he was fine with Reza using the pool and happy to provide comforts like that, he kind of wished a house without one had been available. Even the rental apartments downtown had pools so he would have had to find an actual house on short notice for that to happen.
Before too long they were both freshly dressed and looking sharp. It was a short car ride over to The Boathouse at the marina, and Reza was glad to see he hadn’t gone wrong with his slacks and button down shirt. There were so many places in this town that seemed ultra-casual, jeans-only types of places, and it was nice to be in a nice restaurant, especially if they were going out afterward. Glancing around at the other patrons as they were seated, Reza determined that this was definitely the country club crowd. He settled in across from Shane and gave him a little smile across the table as he pulled the menu closer with a couple of fingers. “I could get used to living so close to the ocean,” he murmured. “All this fresh seafood is amazing.”
"You love water, don't you, Scorpio," Shane murmured with a little smile and it wasn't a turn-off despite his hatred of it. He had his reasons and maybe if he hadn't been flat out tortured with water he'd love it too, lounging on a floater or being weightless under the surface. In theory it sounded pretty nice, he had to admit, and Reza made it look oh so good. He didn't put too much stock into the Zodiac but it still amused him a bit that he was quite literally a fire sign who hated the water while in lust with someone who was a water sign. He picked up his own menu to start the internal debate on fish vs. meat. Just about the only thing he could agree on with large bodies of water was that they looked pretty from a safe distance and the view wasn't overwhelming as such, with glass and beach between him and the great big sea.
Reza knew Shane was a fire sign, but he hadn’t quite caught on to all the straight-up water hate on the other side of the table. His magic was air-focused, which didn’t match his zodiac, but Reza didn’t put too much stock in stuff like that. He was who he was, and he embodied both elements in different ways. Everybody was a mixture. Reza didn’t try to make conversation again until after they’d ordered their food and got their first round of drinks delivered to them. As he picked up his glass of wine, he eyed Shane across the table. “So if you could design a personal heaven for yourself, what would it be like?” he asked, smirking faintly before he took a sip. He kind of liked that he couldn’t ask Shane much about his life at the moment, it made for more creative conversation.
"Wow," Shane muttered and that was a heavy hitter. "Honestly? I've done everything I can to make my life as awesome as possible so this comes close. Lots of space, lots of good sex, good food, exercise. If I could improve on this we'd be in Europe, Italy or France maybe. I fucking loved Italy. I could teleport anywhere I wanted because I love traveling but the flights are boring as hell." He paused and considered then gestured matter of factly. "And a harem, obviously." He kept a straight face for a couple of seconds before grinning. "What about you? What's your personal heaven like?"
It was interesting to hear that Shane had been to Europe. Reza had too, on a few trips with his family, but never on his own as an adult. Maybe he needed to fix that. Maybe they could fix it together. That was probably thinking too far ahead though. He had to keep reminding himself that this thing between them was possibly very temporary. The part about the harem made Reza laugh softly and roll his eyes. “I mean, obviously,” he murmured, then hummed a thoughtful sound. “I think I’d only have a body when I wanted to. Definitely be able to travel anywhere at the blink of an eye ... but I’d want to be part of the air, go anywhere I want, see anything I want at any point in time, become part of other things to experience what that’s like. Like ... a boulder, or a soundwave. I just want to know everything.”
Shane was impressed by that and also a little amused because he was keeping some very big secrets from a man who wanted to Know. "That's crazy," he drawled but it was obviously meant in a good way. "Do you ever have dreams where you do that? I guess that's the closest you'd get but then again I don't know what the fuck happens to us after we die so maybe you'll get your slice of heaven." He thought it was an interesting take on flying, there was no need to fear crashing if he was part of the air and he wondered if he'd feel the same about water. Not quite, it still made his stomach clench uncomfortably just thinking about it. "Do you remember your dreams?"
Reza hadn’t been thinking of Shane’s secrets specifically, though he did want to know what they were. He just hoped to find out about them before he died and went to whatever afterlife there was. That was a long way off, if he was lucky. “Yeah sometimes,” he answered with a little smile. “I mean, I remember quite a few of them, and sometimes there’s the whole flying around, being part of the air thing.” He paused, then arched a brow at Shane. “Are you religious at all? Obviously not some strict fundamentalist ...” he paused to grin knowingly, “but were you raised with that kind of shit, or no?”
"You're just full of loaded questions tonight," Shane replied and while he didn't mind it, he knew that talking about religion could be like navigating a minefield. "No religion, not really, but I learned a lot about the limitations of science and how it doesn't have all the answers. There's a lot of weird shit in the world that doesn't fit in with skeptics or priests. Doesn't mean I believe in any gods or anything. What about you? If you were raised fundamentalist you've strayed pretty far from the path by now." Most fundamentalists would not approve of what he and Reza did in bed, fire and brimstone style. He was pretty sure that where Reza's family was from originally was still super bigoted but he didn't really keep tabs on which countries were safe unless he had to go there.
He guessed he was asking some deeper questions, but Reza wanted to know Shane better. Or at least he wanted to know if Shane would allow himself to be known in more than a superficial way. At least he hadn’t shut Reza down, that was a good sign, and his answer sounded honest. It gave him a little hope to hear Shane talk about there being weird things in the world -- maybe he wouldn’t be too closed minded if the truth about Reza’s abilities came out. That was a big Maybe, of course, but it was another good hint. “I’m a very lapsed Muslim, I suppose you could say,” Reza replied, his smile wry. “My family was never very strict about it though. It was just this backdrop to our lives, but then I had some experiences that expanded my thinking. I definitely agree there’s more out there than most people think. And if there are any gods, nobody’s quite right about them.”
Well, that got Shane's attention and he leaned onto the table, to be a little closer to Reza. "What kind of experiences?" he asked, licking his lips as he tried to read Reza's expression. "Dropped some acid and had a soul searching trip? Or something else?" He was being a dick and he knew it since he wasn't open to discussing his own experiences but maybe if Reza had something interesting to say he might change his mind on that. He didn't want him involved with AIR, mostly because it was going to be dangerous, but he was intrigued and curious about Reza and that was more than he could say about most.
That keen interest was hard to miss, and Reza felt a flicker of satisfaction somewhere, like he’d known on some level that Shane would be eager for details. He sipped on his wine again, only indulging the smug feeling for a second. “Something else,” he answered as he set his glass down. Reza licked his lips briefly and gazed steadily across the table at Shane. “It’s not something I talk about much, it’s kind of hard for most people to believe.” He knew he was probably being frustratingly vague, but it didn’t seem fair for him to cough up his own secrets on demand when Shane wouldn’t even tell him why they were in Maine.
He knew how to fan the flames, that was for sure, and Shane was hooked already. He knew better than to press for details, recognizing the way Reza pulled back a little, almost in a teasing manner and it was absolutely working. "How old were you?" he asked, it seemed like a safer question than asking what had happened and it did make a difference. An adult discovering something strange was less traumatic - or less likely to be a figment of the imagination - than a child getting caught up in something was. He was desperately curious now though and he couldn't remember someone having that effect on him. He thought of Jane digging around in Reza's dreams and it was a frustrating idea, one he wanted to avoid though that was out of his hands now. All she needed was to catch a glimpse and she was in, it was annoying as hell.
It was a better tactic than demanding answers right off the bat, Reza appreciated that. He pursed his lips and thought for a second, trying to recall the exact age he’d been when his magic had kicked in. “I was eleven,” he said with a nod. “It was right around when puberty started.” Some might think that was meaningful in some metaphorical way, but he’d learned from talking to other witches that it had started for them at similar ages too. That just seemed to be the way it worked for people like them. Reza gave a little huff and half-smiled. “Sounds like the bullshit setup to a horror movie, but it’s true.”
"Or a gay art house movie," Shane replied with a titter and a roll of his eyes. No, those were awful and he was sure Reza's story was more interesting than that and his lazy smile said as much when he focused on Reza again. "Were you at home?" he asked and it wasn't a meaningful question unless Reza knew exactly why he was asking it. Shane's affinity for fire had manifested at home but it had taken on a new shape with the torture at AIR. He still doubted Reza had been through the same thing. He didn't feel broken in any way to Shane.
Reza chuckled his agreement, then arched a brow at the next question. It was a little odd, yes. He gave a soft laugh and squinted one eye a bit. “I mean, I was eleven, it wasn’t like I was allowed to go anywhere but home and school,” he said, amused. His childhood hadn’t been that restrictive, he’d still had friends in the neighborhood and all, and the onset of his powers had been a gradual thing. “The first instance I remember was at home, yes,” he added, just to properly answer Shane. Reza felt a little like they were playing the world’s weirdest game of 20 Questions, but he still didn’t want to just blurt it out. He’d given a lot to this guy already, made himself more vulnerable than Shane, and it was hard not to be aware of that. “It was more ... a change in me, I’ll say that much.”
"So not ghosts or mothman at summer camp," Shane said with growing interest. "Huh." He narrowed his eyes as if he could somehow peer through Reza to find out what he wasn't telling him. It'd be ever so disappointing if he was just talking about how he'd started questioning religion or read a book that opened his third eye or some shit but Shane had a feeling that wasn't it at all. "Does this have something to do with sound?" he asked, leaning back a little to take a sip of his wine. He'd experienced something weird with Reza twice now and he still wasn't sure if it came from Reza or if he was just losing his mind. There were worse ways to go crazy than to feel everything so potently during sex so he could accept it if that was all.
He remembered those moments very well himself, so Reza wasn’t too surprised when Shane got it half right. He’d recognized the effect, at least, even if he didn’t know the reason for it. Of course, it had been kind of hard to miss at the time. “Something to do with it, yeah,” Reza answered, unable to keep his lips from curving into a knowing little smile. Shane hadn’t said anything about what he was hearing while they were in the throes of pleasure, and Reza was glad for that because he wouldn’t have been able to play this coy in those moments, that was for sure. “It gets away from me sometimes,” he murmured.
Shane took a deep breath to contain his excitement but he was grinning now, feeling a bit like what he'd imagine a normal child might feel at Christmas as the saying goes. He still didn't know what it meant, just that Reza seemed to have some ability like he did, even before AIR started messing with him and just how common was that anyway? Were more people roaming around out there, amplifying sound, walking in dreams, turning people's desires against them? "Lucky you're not setting things on fire then," he murmured deviously and it felt like he was outing himself but it was a general enough thing to say that he didn't think he was. "When you lose control."
Reza wasn’t sure how to read into those words, but he could still sense there was something there behind them, something more than a random comparison. It just added to Shane’s already considerable air of mystery. He appreciated that Shane wasn’t peppering him with questions, instead going along with the banter, keeping things ambiguous. “Never thought of it like that, but yeah, I guess it is lucky,” he said in his soft way, his gaze steady and curious on Shane’s face. He lifted his glass toward his lips again. “Is that something you know anything about? In more than a sensual way?”
It would be so easy to deny it but Shane knew that even if he did it would be a shallow answer. It felt like this conversation was taking place on a lot more layers than just vocal, every little twitch of his eye or quirk of his brows, the way his smile turned crooked, he felt like he was spitting facts about himself and Reza was picking up every one of them. So he didn't deny it, though he hesitated to answer, buying time by taking a slow sip of his wine. "You could say that," he murmured then and what were the odds that Reza was someone hired by AIR to seduce him and come with him here to get him to spill his secrets? He felt kind of stupid for trusting him so blindly but if Reza was some kind of a spy then he was fucking fantastic at his job. "Maybe I'll show you sometime," Shane said with a little grin and now he felt excited, crazy excited like he was about to go on a rollercoaster.
He was getting the same sense -- there was a lot being said between the lines of what they were physically saying. Everything about Shane’s demeanor led Reza to believe he knew quite a bit about the stranger aspects of the world, from first hand experience. It was exciting on his side of the table too, and Reza’s mind was already racing to suss out what kind of experience that might be. He knew Shane wasn’t a witch, Reza couldn’t feel any magic in him as he knew it, but there was something, wasn’t there? Shane’s reply didn’t give him many hints, but the idea that he could show Reza something was promising. It made him want to demonstrate his abilities now, maybe cocoon them into a little soundproof bubble, block out the soft background noise of the other diners, but Reza recognized that as an impulse to show off. He smiled again instead, a slow spread across his face. “Is this the grown up version of ‘you show me yours and I’ll show you mine’?” he murmured, faintly amused in the middle of feeling like he’d discovered something delightful. Reza set his glass down and tilted his head at Shane. “I knew there was something about you. Besides the pure animal magnetism.”
"I'm pretty sure we already did the grown-up version of that," Shane said suggestively, tittering a bit at the 'animal magnetism' part. God he loved the way Reza smiled, all smug and seductive. It was going to be an interesting night of teasing and desiring when they headed to the bar, that was obvious. "Honestly, I just thought you were a hot piece of ass," he said then, shrugging softly. "But we can't all be insightful." He wondered if he had picked up on something, before the sex. Reza had a magnetism of his own and Shane didn't usually get pulled in so easily, at least not for this long. He wanted to ask directly about AIR, if Reza knew something about it but it was risky and a total mood killer. He preferred this dancing around the topic, it was far sexier than talking about tortured kids.
Reza laughed softly at the first part -- he supposed that was true. Somehow knowing that Shane was something Special made it all feel new again, and he kind of couldn’t wait to get through their meal and get somewhere a little more intimate. Reza wanted to see him all over again with fresh eyes. “I mean, you’re not wrong, I am a hot piece of ass,” he said, smirking again. He was just a lot more than that, and he suspected that Shane had been discovering that, or they wouldn’t be on this trip together. Reza glanced over as the waiter approached their table with their food and set it down with the usual pleasantries. Reza wasn’t sure how hungry he was anymore, his stomach was busy twisting in other ways, but dinner was going to benefit his energy levels later, so he sat up straighter and picked up his knife and fork.
Shane sent their waiter off with a heartfelt thank you and a dazzling smile that might just be a touch too seductive because he was currently stuck in a blissfully sexual mood. He didn't mind eating, it was just another pleasure and the food smelled and looked amazing. "You are a hot piece of ass," he confirmed to find their spot in the conversation again. "But not exclusively." If he had to name the sexiest part of Reza it would be his voice or the way he smiled, like he knew exactly where he had Shane. That part was new and Shane felt like he should hate it but like everything else about Reza, this was surprising him too. "Can you do that sound thing on command? Or only when you lose control." Yes, he was curious and maybe he wanted to experience it when he too wasn't completely lost in pleasure. To be fair he'd been drinking on and off all day so he wasn't exactly sober, but he was far more focused than he would be if he was balls deep inside Reza.
Not reducing him to a sex object was the right way to go for Shane, but Reza appreciated him saying so anyway. The jury was still out on whether it was completely sincere or not, but the more time went on, the more he thought Shane was really interested in him and not just the sex. This conversation was giving him that feeling even more. “On command,” he answered as he cut into his steak. His eyes ticked up to Shane’s. “I could do it now if I wanted to.” The sounds around them weren’t as fun as they had been in the past, but he could amplify them right at Shane if he focused on it, or blanket them in complete silence. “It works the other way too,” he added. “I can make you feel totally deaf, or put us in a little private bubble.” Reza shrugged a shoulder like this wasn’t anything amazing, even though he knew it was.
The thought of being completely deaf gave Shane a very unwanted chill and his smile faltered for a split second before Reza completed the sentence. It reminded him too much of having his powers subdued, he'd often likened that feeling to being deaf, that sudden blanket covering everything, weighing him down. "How about... I don't wanna hear this song anymore," he suggested, gesturing upwards though he wasn't sure where the speaker was. There was some nice and unobtrusive music playing, nothing he minded really but it would make for a good experiment. "Or is that too specific?" The private bubble sounded nice too and he wondered if it would keep sounds from going out too. It just made him think of all the filthy shit they could talk about if that was true but he'd behave for now.
Reza had experimented with the absence of sound on himself, and he had hated the feeling at first too. Sound and air were such an integral part of his life, it felt unnatural to sit in complete silence. But then he’d started to discover the depth of it, and then it felt like meditation. An exploration. All of that was philosophy though, and not something he was ready to talk about with Shane yet. Reza’s eyes ticked upward to the ceiling, his lips curling again. At least Shane had given him a bit of a challenge. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting his focus expand to all the sound he could pick up in the room, then narrowed it down to the inoffensive canned music playing above them. Mentally he put a muffler over the speaker overhead, filtering it out of the air around them. Once he didn’t hear it anymore, he opened his eyes and half-grinned at Shane.
It was like someone had slowly turned down the music before turning it off completely and while Shane knew that something like this could be easily engineered the lengths Reza would have had to go through to do that were kind of crazy and Shane didn't think for a second this was a set-up. His smile perked up again both because Reza did have something strange going on with him and because he'd been willing to share it. That took a lot, especially if AIR was involved. His pure glee over the whole thing came to a halt again when that thought entered his mind and he looked around before leaning closer to Reza. "Can other people not hear it anymore either?" he asked quietly and if Reza had never had to tangle with AIR, Shane needed to make damn sure they never caught a whiff of his abilities.
Watching Shane’s face as he realized what was happening delighted Reza in a deep sort of way. He’d only ever demonstrated his powers to other confirmed witches, not just random dudes he was seeing. Not that Shane was quite random anymore, but still. He shook his head, still smiling. “They can hear it, there’s kind of ... an area of effect around us.” He focused again for a moment, letting that muffling invisible blanket unfurl around them so that the entire din of the restaurant was silenced around them and their table. It was risky to show off with waiters milling around, and Reza didn’t intend to keep it up long, but he did want Shane to see a bit more of what he could do. Besides that, blocking out everything was easier than only filtering out one thing. “And now nobody can hear us,” he said, flashing Shane a wicked sort of grin.
It was wild. Shane could see people were still talking, there was no way to muffle the clinking of silverware against plates and when Reza informed him it went both ways he broke out in a mischievous grin. There was one way to verify that and he brought his fingers up to his mouth and whistled. Loudly. Looking around again, nobody seemed bothered by it and he let out a little laugh, shaking his head. "What the fuck are you?" he drawled with amazement and while he wasn't about to start a fire in the restaurant, he was getting some ideas of his own to show off to Reza, no matter if it was a bad idea or not.
The whistle made Reza laugh a bit himself, the sound of it a little strange even in their bubble as it was soaked up by the magic around them. The question obviously didn’t come out of nowhere, it was pretty expected, but Reza still had to think about how he wanted to answer. He picked up his wine glass for another drink, his gaze barely moving away from Shane’s face. As he set it down again and swallowed, he shook his head a bit. “That’s not really fair, is it?” he asked softly instead of answering. “I don’t even know why we’re here in Maine.” Reza didn’t want to be petty, but if he was going to show his full hand to Shane, he wanted the same in return. Until then, he would leave Shane’s understanding of his powers at ‘mysterious party trick.’
That was frustrating, though it wasn't unfair, and Shane considered the question for a moment, looking down at his food as if there might be cool answers to find there. "I'm here to help a friend," he replied. "And you're here to keep me company." It sounded so simple but he knew Reza wouldn't like the answer. If it wasn't for AIR, he'd be more than happy to show his hand to Reza. That part didn't feel fair at all because it was his, AIR hadn't bestowed the gift of fire on him, he'd gotten it himself somehow and they'd taken advantage of that. While there was a chance they were back in business, Reza was probably not safe here either and Shane knew he was being insanely stupid and selfish bringing him here. Just a couple of weeks, he reminded himself. Then he'd send him packing.
Reza couldn’t help the way he laughed again, this one slightly heartier than the last. He cocked an eyebrow and waited for a couple of heartbeats but Shane didn’t elaborate. That was truly the most vague and lame answer he could’ve come up with, and Reza shook his head, his smile still in place. It was frustrating on his end too, but he wasn’t going to be an asshole about it right here and now. “Then I am ... something that can do things like this,” he said, spreading his fingers in a rolling gesture toward the ceiling to indicate their anti-sound blanket. “If we’re still on a strictly need-to-know basis.” That was all he was going to say until Shane met him halfway. Reza still hadn’t seen what made him special, so he was really past the halfway point now, and he was determined not to give any more ground. He cut a piece of steak and popped it into his mouth, still intent on enjoying the evening.
Shane was reluctant to give more and yet there was a weird tension in him, a competitive side itching to show off. It overrode his fear of being caught and that was probably stupid but there it was. He looked pointedly at the candle sitting on their table, unlit because they were there early, waited until Reza looked too and then let the flame come. It always felt cruel to start a fire out of thin air but this was different since there was a wick and wax both to feed and contain it. "Is your steak hot enough?" he asked and the thrill and fear at showing even this little was making his insides quiver in ways he wasn't sure if he hated or loved.
Interested, Reza looked where Shane indicated he should, then felt a delighted thrill of his own when the tiny flame sprang to life. It was a small thing, another party trick, but it had such bigger implications. He grinned slowly at Shane and shook his head a little. “Could always be hotter,” he murmured, intrigued. Reza sat back in his seat, just in case Shane’s plan to heat up his food came in the form of a fireball or something. It was easy to forget where they were, with all of this heightened, excited energy between them. Was Shane a witch too, just fire-aspected? This whole town was full of magic, so it would’ve been plausible ... but Reza didn’t sense any magic in him, at least none that he recognized, and he would, wouldn’t he? He’d known fire witches, and Shane didn’t feel like one. It was confounding in the most attractive way.
It was tempting to fireball the meat but Shane didn't want to have to order another meal just because he ruined this one. So he focused on the warmth already radiating from the meat, tuned into the vibrations of it and made it just a little hotter. It was barely visible except for the steam getting a touch more visible. "Try it now," he murmured with a grin and finally moved to his own plate, cutting into the veal and taking a bite. He hadn't shown off like this for over a decade and however stupid it might be didn't compare to how nice it felt sharing a secret. He could almost hear Jane laughing at him in his head, echoing his words back at him mockingly. If Reza was just his boy toy, then why the hell would he show him this? To be fair, Reza had shown his first but that didn't make this any less insane.
Reza could feel that the steak was warmer as he put knife and fork to it again, and there was no mistaking it as he put a bite into his mouth. It was that perfect fresh-off-the-grill temperature, and he started chewing with relish, humming his appreciation. Incognito witch or not, Shane obviously had a way with heat. Which just made all the sense in the world to Reza. “The ultimate fire sign,” he murmured once he’d swallowed, his eyes dancing at Shane. He got a feeling that was only a tiny taste of what the other man could do too, which was just tantalizing. “No wonder you get me all hot and bothered.” Reza really wanted to ask how Shane was doing it, what his secret was.
Now, Shane knew he got Reza all hot and bothered but it was still awesome to hear it out loud and he let out a little titter, basking in the way Reza was looking at him. The fire sign was a nice touch too. "Trust me, I can do that without any magic tricks," he murmured and this was a high he wanted to keep riding but that weight in his stomach was still there, rioting, a whole lot of little alarms going off in his head. "Don't go around showing people," he said and while he was still smiling there was a new note of seriousness in his voice. "You have no idea who might be watching." Funny, warning Reza about it when he wasn't exactly playing it safe himself.
He eyed Shane silently for a moment. “I rarely show anyone, I’m not an idiot,” he said softly, his tone dropping to match Shane’s. He at least never did anything obvious around anyone who wasn’t also a confirmed witch. It was curious that Shane was giving him this warning in a town full of magic, and Reza wondered if he knew. If maybe all the power Reza felt here didn’t skew to the good. He wanted to ask what Shane meant, but he knew that would lead to more non-answers. “I don’t even talk about it with my family.” He didn’t want to outright say ‘consider yourself lucky,’ but that was kind of how he felt. His magic was pretty subtle by nature anyway, he definitely didn’t go flashing it around.
Shane felt like he heard the unspoken words and they didn't help smother his fascination with Reza at all. "Has anyone ever hurt you because of it?" he asked and it didn't feel as crazy to ask that when despite being in public, nobody could hear them. Reza probably should drop that bubble soon but for now Shane was grateful for it as well as impressed. Being able to speak freely without worrying about someone on the next table picking up on their conversation was a novelty and if he wasn't so eager to keep Reza out of his Point Pleasant plans, it was something that would come in handy when he reached out to the others.
Reza suddenly felt like his sound-canceling curtain had more purpose. Once again, it wasn’t a question that completely came out of left field, but he got the sense there was more than one layer to it. His brown gaze stayed steady on Shane’s face, almost probing in their intensity. “Not physically,” Reza told him. “My parents thought I was possessed by a demon for a while, it caused some problems. But they accept it now.” He paused, and it felt delicate. “If I ask you if you got hurt because of it, would you tell me?” Reza kept his tone soft -- it was just a question, not a jab.
Shane licked his lips and picked up his wine again, breaking the eye contact. "I think I already answered that," he said quietly and it was too much too fast and he was uncomfortable now, visibly so. At least he hadn't gone out and blurted out all about how this was why he was here, but he was being stupid and he knew it. Maybe Jane was right and lust and love were the same thing, he'd just dodged the aftermath of it better up until now. He preferred focusing on Reza, finding out his secrets, finding out more about him but it always got turned around on him too - which was fair, he supposed. That was how people connected, he just wasn't used to it.
It was clear as day that a line had been crossed, and Reza instantly felt guilty, even though he knew he shouldn’t. This was something that they had to talk about eventually or they would never get any further than they were. Reza didn’t know if Shane wanted that to happen, or if Shane even knew what he really wanted. It was confusing and frustrating sometimes, but it still felt worthwhile to be there, so he wasn’t tempted to bail yet. The conversation had struck a nerve though, so it was probably time to back up a bit. “I’m sorry,” he said after a moment. Reza turned his attention to his food so he wasn’t continuing to stare at Shane, and he slowly let the magic around them fade, like the volume on the restaurant soundtrack was being turned back up to normal.
The effect was indeed magical and it helped Shane get back on his game, leaning back with a slowly unfurling smile. "That is so cool," he said with a small shake of his head, not wanting to linger on one uncomfortable moment when all the rest of the time with Reza had been pretty amazing - too amazing, really. "I can't help but think of all the ways that could be exploited." He wasn't so much thinking of AIR in that context, but of the people he associated with back in Chicago. A guarantee a wiretap couldn't work? A muffler on screams? Yeah, he'd make damn sure they never found out about Reza. As far as they were concerned he was just a hot piece of ass they weren't even interested in because of the whole no-homo stance.
Reza was grateful that they didn’t linger over the bad vibe. He was curious as hell and really wanted to know the details of Shane’s life and what had happened to him, but he knew that sort of thing couldn’t be forced. Shane seemed to be skittish about trust and intimacy by nature -- or awful experience, that option was even more prominent now -- and Reza didn’t want to drive him off. Especially not now that they had something like this in common. He looked up and smiled faintly back. “Believe me, I’ve thought about all that too,” he said. Reza wasn’t directly involved in organized crime, but working in the nightlife world of Chicago had shown him it existed. He knew his abilities could be a benefit to those types of people. “Hence me keeping it as quiet as I can. ... no pun intended.” He chuckled a bit. “Right now it just helps with my career and makes me incredible at karaoke.”
Shane thought there was a karaoke bar in town and for a split second he was tempted to make Reza show off his skills there but that would probably require him to sing too and that wasn't nearly as fun. He'd never been very musical and his appreciation for music came very late in life and while his voice wasn't awful, he had no idea if he stayed on key or not. "Maybe you'll throw me a concert sometime in our overly large dining room," he said instead and yes, he could absolutely imagine it. "But yeah I can see how that's handy when you work in music," he added and wondered if they'd ever have met if it wasn't for Reza's job.
“Crazier things have happened,” Reza murmured with a little smirk. He didn’t fancy himself a singer, but his ability always kept him on key, sensitive as he was to sound waves and their pitches. He doubted he would be singing for Shane without any context though, performance wasn’t really his thing. They fell into some idle chatter from there while they ate the rest of their meal. It was good food and Reza was feeling nicely full and chill by the time Shane paid the bill and they walked out of the building. Reza was tempted to suggest they just go straight home, but after dinner drinks out did sound nice, and they didn’t have to stay long if they didn’t want to, so he rode along happily enough while Shane took them to the bar he’d had in mind.
It wasn't far, Shane was pretty sure nothing was far in this town and he liked the place as soon as they walked in. The atmosphere was nice, the bartender was cute and the clientele looked mellow in a way he doubted they'd get hassled at all. They ordered drinks at the bar and found a table with a good view of the rest of the place. Shane liked people watching, it had always fascinated him to see so many strange faces after so many years of always seeing the same ones. It should have gotten old by now but somehow it hadn't. "I like strangers," he murmured and he was definitely starting to feel the mix of alcohol he'd had over the day, too many brands in too short a time so he made sure not to get a double anything in this place. "All these people just going about their lives without us."