Loyal [boyxboy]

Doesn't Stay in Miami (pt. 2)

Lucas shifted awkwardly outside the restaurant. He felt naked not needing a jacket, still not able to shake the fact he knew it was winter. It felt awkward wearing a tie, too—but Kent had taken him on a small shopping spree. "You see how Alex and Joshua dress, their presence... You need to show you've got some of the power," he'd said.

Lucas wasn't used to the collared dress shirt at all, and Kent had gotten him some nice shiny tie clip too. The slacks were well fitted, even if it wasn't a suit like what Alex actually wore. Lucas watched the cars drifting by as he waited for Nick.

Nick popped up out of the dark, dressed in a nicer outfit than usual as well. He gave a sheepish smile as Lucas tried to straighten up properly. "This place looks, well..."

"Kent had a favor or something," Lucas explained, trying to wave off his own uneasiness about such a nice place. "Let's get in."

The hostess was quick to seat them, and someone else followed up quickly. He wasn't a waiter, and Lucas eyed him suspiciously as he handed out the menus. "You're the friends of Mr. Broadrick?" he asked. "I'd like to offer this wine, on the house." Someone showed up with wine and some glasses.

Lucas scowled as they poured the glasses. They hadn't even asked for an ID, which would have been his excuse, and now it was too late. Nick seemed to know exactly that as he was trying not to smile while taking a test sip of the wine. "This is nice, thank you," Nick responded, enough to satisfy the man—most likely the owner.

"Feel free to take your time on the menu. I can always recommend something if you'd like." With that he wandered off, but he was never far in case they needed something.

"Fucking Kent," Lucas finally spat, swirling the wine in his glass. He sniffed it and frowned again.

"Just try it," Nick insisted.

"I don't know the first thing about wine," Lucas grumbled, tilting his glass up. "I just wanted water."

"All I know about wine is that it has legs," Nick admitted in confusion. "But this one isn't too bad."

Lucas gave in and tried but still ended up cringing at the taste. Nick laughed at him and flagged down someone for something else for him to drink. Nick ordered himself a steak and some lobster, while Lucas tried one of the shrimp pastas.

That got Nick laughing at him, making a jab about how he was still sticking to pastas and Italian food like the restaurant at home. Lucas ended up picking some of the food of Nick's plate, sharing the larger portion of steak and the lobster.

By the time they are ready for dessert, Lucas is too full to eat anymore even if he wants everything on the dessert menu. Nick managed to pay the bill without question, and Lucas fiddled awkwardly with his napkin. He wasn't sure how this was supposed to work.

They ended up back on the beach afterwards, their shoes abandoned in Nick's car at the hotel. Lucas tried to stumble along in the dark, unable to really get his footing and feeling the occasional sharp shell. He was deciding that he didn't actually like the sand.

"You're doing terribly at that," Nick commented, laughing.

"At what?" Lucas replied distractedly.

"Walking. You're hobbling more than anything." Nick grabbed him by the shoulder then. "Let your feet slide a little instead of fighting it."

Lucas grumbled sourly and took a few more testy steps, though he was still trying to walk like the sand would hold his footing without moving. He gave up and ventured closer to the water where the sand was wet and stuck together more.