𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ꨄ︎ 𝐉. 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐀

𖧷 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𖧷

At least a couple nights a month there was a karaoke night dedicated to Billy Joel.

Jake didn't know the story behind why Billy Joel's Greatest Hits were the soundtrack of the mafia, but he went with it. Who didn't like a bit of Billy Joel?

After a long, tiresome day of teaching old men how to use the internet, Jake was elated to hear he was going to be able to watch a bunch of drunk people chant Piano Man at the top of their lungs all while getting drunk himself. He never participated, because somehow the ritual seemed sacred to the family. Jake knew he didn't belong, and didn't want to cross a line. It was fun either way.

He hadn't seen Sal in a whole day. He hadn't talked to him in two. Jake wondered why he cared more specifically about Sal than the others, for there was plenty of people he didn't talk to continuously. Yet at every opportunity he tried to spot the man out of the corner of his eye. Sal wasn't even extra suspicious or anything. In fact he was the most normal, non-suspicious guy Jake had met so far undercover. He just wanted to see him.

Yesterday he'd caught a glance of Sal shirtless, mid-workout. He froze and stared. Sal had the nicest arms Jake had ever seen, next to Terry's. He found himself mesmerized watching the muscles move and occasional beads of sweat drip onto the floor. He'd licked his lip and just mustered the courage to go say hi and pretend he knew stuff about exercise when an old man called Alberto came over to him, kissed both his cheeks and asked Jake to show him how to delete his search history. Regretfully Jake walked off, and helped wipe the disturbing things from Alberto's computer.

He was itching to see Sal again. He told himself he just needed to have a normal conversation about something normal with somebody normal. Except whether Jake liked it or not, Sal wasn't normal. He was still a part of this family, a criminal. Who knew the things he could've done that Jake didn't know about.

But like the good King he was, Sal showed at the karaoke bar that night. Jake was only mildly disappointed that he was wearing a shirt this time. It was a tight one, though, black with the symbol of a brand that Jake couldn't remember the name of etched on the left breast. Very casual. Jake had gone in the other direction, clothing-wise, putting on a lavish blue suit that made him look cool as hell- with no tie though, of course. He left a couple buttons open instead. He had posed for himself in the mirror for about five minutes, wishing he still had his badge and gun to top off the look.

Instead he put a ton of gel in his hair and set off, ready to get wasted.

Sal smiled when he noticed Jake was looking at him. Jake smiled nervously back, suddenly overthrown with butterflies at Sal's sexy smile. (Seriously, how did that boy do everything perfectly so effortlessly?)

Sal sat on the stool on Jake's right and rested his elbows on the bar behind them, long legs covered with dark jeans reaching out towards the ground. "Hey, Jakey. Nice suit. You look good."

"Thanks." Jake's cheeks tainted pink. It was beyond his control. Although somehow, Sal looked way better than he did, streched out and flexing like that. Jake swallowed, pushing away the thought of straddling him. He was barely half way done with his first drink- why was he thinking like this? He drank the rest of his glass in one go, eyes glued to the floor.

Sal raised his eyebrow. "Long day?" He asked.

"You could say that." Jake replied, waving down the bartender and asking for another. As he went to put more coins on the bar, Sal covered his hand with his own. "Put it on my tab." Sal smiled at the man making the drinks. He nodded and Jake slowly put his money back in his pocket.

"You didn't have to do that." Jake gave Sal a slightly confused look, but he wasn't one to turn down a free drink- especially one from an attractive man.

"Don't worry about it." Said Sal, winking at Jake. "I've known these people my entire life, and they can be exhausting. You deserve it."

Jake's detective's intuition made him read further into that statement than he had to. "Is that why you go to school? To get away from them?"

Sal seemed unbothered by the question, though, twisting a glass between his fingers. "Yeah. I love them but it's too much sometimes. I enjoy myself more when I'm only here for a week or so, you know? But I'm only in Hyde Park. Never far. Just in case."

"In case of what?"

"In case they need me." Sal sipped on his drink ominously. Jake was slightly put off and looked away. He knew he should pry for more information about just what exactly that meant, but he didn't. He didn't want to know. Not about Sal. He wanted to believe Sal never did anything wrong in his entire life.

"What's your family like?" Sal changed the subject, curious to know more about Jake.

"I only have my mom." Jake told the truth. He shouldn't have, because he shouldn't have been giving away too much personal information- but he wanted to know Sal. It was only fair if Sal knew him too. "My dad... wasn't the best guy."

"Siblings?"

"No. I always wanted one, though."

Sal smirked. "I have six step-sisters and one half-sister. You can have one of mine."

Jake laughed. "I'm okay." He debated asking his next question. "How's your mom?"

Everyone Jake had previously asked about Sal's mom looked at him like he'd slapped them in the face or started yelling in Italian. Eventually he'd managed to figure out the story with the little angry snibbits of conversation he heard, but he wanted to hear it from Sal himself.

Sal just sighed. "I don't know. She abandoned my dad and I when I was five. I barely remember her but it absolutely killed my dad. He... he really loved her."

Jake pretended he had no idea. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Like I said, I don't really remember."

Jake went to drink but realized his glass was empty.

Sal looked amused and ordered for the both of them. "Two more, Benny."

"Thanks." Jake said again.

"Don't mention it."

"When are you going up?" Jake asked Sal after a moment where they watched a woman clumsily sing We Didn't Start The Fire.

"Once I'm drunker." He laughed.

"Don't you like being up there?" Jake remembered how much stage presence Sal had and how much he seemed to enjoy himself. It seemed crazy he would need any alcohol to do it.

"Of course. I love it. But it's still nerve-wracking. And tonight... well, honestly, I'd rather just talk to you."

Jake was flattered, rendered momentarily speechless. "Oh."

Sal smiled, clinking his glass against an invisible one before taking a sip. "You're cute when you blush."

Jake laughed nervously but his heart skipped a beat. "You sure you're not drunk?"

"Positive." Sal assured. "Speaking of which, that's becoming a problem. Can I get something stronger, Benny?"

"You got it." The bartender replied.

"Me, too." Jake cut in. Sal smirked at him. Way stronger, Jake thought. He had a feeling this thing going on with Sal was about to get dangerous. He couldn't have his mind sober when it did.

"You gonna perform some more Salt'N'Pepa for us?" Sal teased him.

"Not if I can help it." Jake laughed.

"You seemed hyped to do it the other day."

Jake bit his lip, wondering if he should admit this. But he felt like he could. Sal was looking at him so curiously. "Only because I wanted you to notice me. I was wasted."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Jake chuckled, embarrassed.

"Well. Mission accomplished." Sal smirked. "Cheers, Jakey."

"Cheers." They pressed their stronger drinks together.

They chatted back and forth for awhile, listening on and off to the karaoke. After a particularly awful rendition of Movin' Out, Jake looked at Sal. "I think it's your turn. My ears are bleeding. I can't handle another one of those."

Sal smiled, and God he was beautiful when he smiled. "Sure, Jakey. But just for you."

Jake left the bar and sat at a table while Sal went on stage. He sat in front of a grand piano and adjusted the microphone. "Hello everyone. I'm here to show you all up."

Jake smiled and the crowd whooped.

"This is My Life."

Sal began pressing the keys on the piano. His voice was soft and sultry and perfect, and actually pleasing to listen to. He was upbeat and passionate and got the whole crowd singing "I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life!"

Jake was mesmerized. Sal looked so good. The song ended too soon and Sal hopped off the stage, winking at Jake as he made his way back to the table.

"You were so good," Jake praised.

"Thank you. It's my favorite song."

"I think it's mine, now, too."

Sal leaned over and took Jake's hand in his. Jake's breath caught. "Do you like men, Jakey?"

Jake was taken aback. The question came out of nowhere and it surprised him. He stuttered. "Y-yeah, I do."

"Good." Was all Sal said, letting go of his hand.

Jake opened his mouth to speak but before he could, someone called his name.

It was Sal's dad and a few other men waving him towards the stage. His eyes widened. Sal nudged him. "Go, Jakey!"

"No, no, I couldn't. I shouldn't."

"Yes, you should. Go." Sal shooed him with a smile.

"But I'm not... I never..."

"Oh come on, Jakey." Sal stood up and forced Jake out of his chair. "Don't make me carry you."

"Actually you know what I think I would kind of really like it if you carried me." Jake said quickly.

Sal chuckled and shoved him. "Go."

"Fine."

And that's how Jake ended up singing Piano Man in a quartet with a bunch of old men. It sounded strange but the experience was truly something else. It felt like an initiation ritual. He couldn't wipe the smile from his face afterwards. He went over to Sal, who was back at the bar.

Sal put his hand over his heart and swooned over-exagerratedly. "That was so beautiful, Jakey."

"Oh, shut up. Now you're drunk."

"Maybe just a little bit."

Jake took Sal's drink away from him and drank the rest of it himself. "I'm cutting you off."

Sal looked at him in shock. "I think I hate you now."

Jake had newfound confidence from his initiation-performance. He felt empowered. He put Sal's glass down with a clink and put his hands on the bar on either side of the man, trapping him.

Sal's smile turned suggestive. "Where's this coming from? You sure you're not drunk?"

"Positive." Jake slurred.

Sal grabbed the lapels of Jake's suit, adjusting it before running his hands down the jacket. He used this grip to pull Jake a little closer. "Do you wanna come home with me tonight, Jakey?"

This was why Jake wanted to be drunk. Now, in the morning when he regretted it, he could blame the alcohol for his response.

"Yes."