Chapter Text
Despite Lillium's grumbles and protests, he is actually having a pretty good night. Somehow Heather and Begonia had convinced him to go bar hopping, whittling down his protests with promises of good music and sidling threats of blackmail.
The trio had started out with the bare minimum of a plan and rolled into the first bar they came across with live music. It was a mixed bag of a bar - Lillium’s drink was terrible, expensive and poured short, but the band was great, if rather eccentric. The girls were having a wonderful time, so Lillium had stayed put at the bar, watching Begonia spin around Heather to the beat of the music.
Which was when his current problem blew in, chaos on two feet, his sweet laugh carrying over the noise as he flung himself dramatically into the empty stool next to Lillium. His black lacy coat clearly had done nothing to protect him from the Seattle mists, water drops shimmering like glitter on the warm skin peeking through.
A hell of an entrance for a man far too pretty for his own good, damp and shaggy black hair framing a golden face that positively brimmed with mischief. Unfortunately for Lillium's night, he came with a companion slogging in behind him, griping about the bar, the seats, the music.
“Just one drink, Laurence. Pleeeeeease?” The man didn't even wait for a response, grinning back at his pale, white-haired shadow as he swiveled into the bar, waving down the bartender. This Laurence character huffed and stomped off, headed for the card tables in the back and leaving the adorable man alone to drive Lillium mad.
What a wonderful problem to have.
Lillium raises an eyebrow when the new bartender slips a double into the man's fruity drink instead of the single he had ordered. So much for a short pour. Lillium can't blame her, though - Lillium's clearly not the only one that has eyes.
Lillium can blame her for passing him over when he tries to flag her down to refill his own drink, but he shrugs, fishing out an ice chip from his glass and turning back to the band.
You walked into the room
and the whole place stopped to notice
Standing next to you,
I feel hopeless and you know this
Well that was just fucking rude.
“Oh, I like this, do you know the song?”
The voice is close enough to make Lillium jump, looking down at the impish smile of the pretty man. His face twists almost apologetically even as his dark eyes crinkle in amusement, “Didn't mean to startle you.“
“Barenaked Ladies,” Lillium offers without thinking, then recalibrates when the man's eyes go wide, adding a little hastily, “That's the name of the band they’re covering, the song name is escaping me, though.”
“Oh!” the mischievous grin returns and does some unwelcome rearranging of Lillium's insides, “I thought we were changing the subject.” His gaze rakes slowly down Lillium's torso and back up, “I do have other preferences, though.”
Lillium can feel his ears burning. He tilts his head, curiosity getting the better of him, teasing back, "You like other bands more?”
The man traces a very bold hand along the sleeve of Lillium's leather jacket without breaking eye contact, winking at him, “That, too.”
Playing unfair. Lillium likes it. “Thought you came in with someone?”
A dismissive flick of the wrist, “Just a friend, now.”
The implication of that must do something interesting to Lillium's face, because the man smirks, shifting closer, pressing his shoulder into Lillium's bicep, “Iris, by the way.”
“Lillium,” he turns to make room for the tactile man to lean in, giving Iris a sly smile of his own. This could be a great night after all. Rebounds he can work with. There’s no commitment to it, no pressure to do things right. Not likely to even leave the bar. Fun and easy.
You turned down all the lights, I lit the candles
We rolled around in robes and hotel sandals
The band does need to switch songs, though.
Iris turns out to be a delight, funny and animated, hands constantly in motion as he talks. Lillium barely needs to add anything to the conversation, just enjoying the enthusiasm of his new company, soaking in the warm line of him when he decides to lean into Lillium's side, laughing at his own jokes.
“Lil! Lil'bit!” Begonia emerges from the crowd tumbling into Lillium’s lap, laughing, “Lil’ bit drunk, get it? Get it? Oooh who is this?”
Lillium grimaces, “Iris, Begonia. Begonia, Iris.”
Heather chooses violence, sliding up to the bar to sling an arm over Lillium, “and I'm Heather.”
The previously outgoing man shrinks in on himself, pulling back. Lillium scrambles, trying to salvage the situation, “My sister and her wife,” he explains, “menaces the pair of them.”
“Nice to meet you,” Iris recovers shyly, a little bit of that earlier sheepishness creeping back into the look he flicks at Lillium.
Heather gives Iris a once-over, assessing, “Have we met? You look familiar.”
Iris shakes his head, “I don't think so - I’m actually not from around here. Just visiting.”
She hums skeptically, leaning closer, seemingly oblivious to how close she is to ruining Lillium's evening.
Tired of Heather’s nonsense, Lillium shakes her off, shifting to drape an arm across the bar behind Iris instead. She scoffs and Lillium ignores her entirely, looking down to Begonia in her position still dramatically poised across his lap, “Why’d you come back? Thought you wanted to finish the band out.”
“Couldn't leave you here all by your lonesome, Lil,” the words lilt out of her mouth, darts designed to rile him up, “Didn't realize you already found prettier company than us.”
Heather is still inspecting Iris thoughtfully, but joins in dryly, “Not much to dance to when they swapped to elevator music, so we figured we'd make sure you hadn't pissed someone off yet.”
“Tch,” Lillium rolls his eyes, looking conspiratorially down at the flustered Iris, “I think they just want me to spot their drinks this round.”
That gets a laugh out of him, “And here I thought they were trying to steal you away for dancing.”
“I like him,” Begonia thankfully flips out of Lillium's lap, smiling at Iris, “I like you. Wanna leave the grouch and come dance with us?”
“Maybe in a bit?” Iris darts another sly look up at Lilllium before turning back, rattling his half-full drink, “Let me catch a lil’ bit first.”
It's impossible to stay irritated at Begonia’s tipsy giggles.
After some exhausting negotiations and more than a little infuriating ragging, Lillium is finally able to send the girls back into the crowd with new drinks in tow. He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose in his hand.
“Your friends are fun,” the soft amusement and accompanied warm thump of Iris’s head against his shoulder are a welcome balm to Lillium’s stinging pride. Lillium tests the unfamiliar waters, letting his arm curl lightly around Iris's back.
“Pests is what they are.”
“Clearly, which is why you're out with them tonight.” To Lillium's delight, Iris leans into the touch, that impish grin directed fully at him again, “You seem to like trouble.”
“Is that what you are then, mystery man? Trouble?”
Iris's reply is cut off when someone charges forward, trying to shove between them, “What the fuck.”
Lillium reacts out of instinct first, stepping to the floor as his hand intercepts the arrival, twisting into the meat of their shoulder to prevent them from getting closer to his companion.
Then he processes the person in front of him. Shit. Lillium lets go immediately, yanking his hand back like he’s been stung and looking to Iris for cues on how to proceed. Thankfully the man seems more darkly amused than anything.
“Laurence, I'm fine.”
The boy winces, glaring at Lillium as he rubs at his shoulder, “Fine? You're fine? Hanging off of this creep? Iris, trust me, I know his type.”
“What's he gonna do, lock up my stuff?”
That jab makes Laurence blanch, clearly personal. Satisfied that Iris is handling it, Lillium settles back in his stool to watch the show, maybe enjoying it a little too much. What can he say, he does like trouble.
Laurence splutters, throwing up his hands, “Well when shit goes sideways, don't come crying to me.”
Iris just leans forward, a sadistic tilt to his smile. After a beat, Laurence flushes bright red and abruptly turns on his heel.
They watch him storm off. Lillium breaks the silence, “Sorry for kicking your dog there. Thought he was going to bite.”
Iris downs the rest of his drink, meeting Lillium's gaze with a challenge in his eyes, “The coward wouldn't even bite me if I asked him to.”
He turns back to the bar to wave down the bartender, leaving Lillium reeling in his wake. Yeah, he's trouble all right.
And Lillium's in deep already.