Now See Here! (m/m)

Not See Eye to Eye

A/N: Saturday again, so a new chapter! : ) As always much credit goes to my beta TheCookieMonster, who saves you from reading some very strange sentences…

Now See Here!

Chapter 5: Not See Eye to Eye

They kept dancing until Mark was parched. The blond didn't say anything about his sudden realization that he preferred to be dancing with Jake rather than a woman, whatever that meant. Maybe it didn't mean anything, maybe it was simply because he had gotten to know the man a bit, meaning he wasn't as nervous around Jake… although he was nervous… and not really in the same way as he was around girls…

As they stood by the bar, downing a large non-alcoholic drink each, someone else Jake knew came up to them.

"Hi Jake," a male voice said, and Mark could only describe the tone as 'sultry'.

"Hello, Mike. You're doing well?" Jake wasn't rude, but his voice was a bit cold, just trying to get the message that he wasn't interested across, which Mark gave him a smile for.

"Would be better if you and I could have some fun…?"

"I'm with Mark here, sorry. We're over, Mike, you know that. Are you on something?"

"You've always been a damn bore…" the other guy then complained and now Mark also heard that he sounded a bit… odd. Not drunk, just odd. The blond had never really been around people who used drugs before and he didn't want to be now. "He's boring…" it seemed Mike was now complaining to Mark, who backed away a little bit against the bar.

"Go away, Mike. Right now," Jake growled.

Muttering about something the man left.

"So that was one of your exes?" Mark wanted to know, frowning.

"Until I discovered he was a user, yeah. I tried to help him quit, but… well. It's a pity. When he's not using he's a great journalist, he has even won some awards."

"Oh."

"What, you thought I picked up junkies off the street?" the older man snorted. "I have higher standards than that."

"Yes, apparently, since you now have resorted to trying to convert innocent heterosexuals," Mark grinned.

"Heterosexuals my ass…" the man chuckled and moved closer. "But out of curiosity; how is the process going?"

"No expectations, remember?" the blond smiled softly.

"Fine… fine… so… twenty percent complete?"

"Maybe ten."

"Well, it's progress!"

Mark burst out laughing. "This is so… surreal. Has this ever happened to anyone ever?"

"If you want to hear weird coming out stories, I have a few for you…" Jake offered.

After half an hour Mark was crying with laughter from tales of awkward conversations, text messages sent to the wrong person and things like that.

"Well… I'm glad it's not all bad… you hear horrible stories about- well… your father for one," he said.

"I think there will always be horror stories like that, but thankfully society is a lot more open… though I have lost a few career opportunities for not fitting into the 'mold'… after my father died I refused to hide or deny it, though… he had tried to make me do that long enough." Jake sounded a bit bitter.