Chapter 15

(Angel)

Total Eclipse of the Heart

"Is that the banana margarita bartender," Bella asked. "With…Billy?"

"Sort of looks like him, doesn't it?" Angel replied as he peered past the crush of people looking for seats. Dim overheads and bright strobe lights made it impossible to be certain, but that spill of long black hair sure looked the same.

"Dude, that's him, I never forget a smirk."

"Well, that smirk, along with the rest of him, is headed right this way."

"Fuck," Bella groaned, turning her attention to her drink as she angled her shoulder away from them.

Angel knew that posture. She was gearing up for a major bout of ignore the interloper and would keep it up until their karaoke night was over or the guy wandered off to find someone else to hang out with.

Thinking back to the night of the Banana Margarita Monstrosity, he couldn't recall there being any signs that they knew one another, though Billy had gone up to the bar several times to retrieve drinks for them when the waitress got busy. Maybe they'd struck up a friendship then though it was difficult to imagine with Billy being sober and shooting menacing glares at every stranger who'd dared approach their booth. No, Billy never even introduced himself to people and tended to glare and shrink back into the shadows whenever strangers got too close, which made the whole vibe even weirder when the bartender, because yes, now Angel could see clearly that it was him, dropped into the seat across from Bella while Billy turned his chair away from the table, to put the back to the wall and allow him an unobscured view of anyone approaching.

"What happened?" The bartender asked Bella. "Did you spill something on the napkin? I knew I should have written my number on something less likely to get wrecked."

She glanced up from her drink, cocked a dismissive eyebrow at him, and went right back to sipping her Cosmo.

"Were the banana margaritas really that bad?" he asked.

There was nothing teasing or flirting about the way he asked. That's what gave Angel a moment of pause as he studied the guy, who like at the bar, looked almost familiar. Cocking his head, he tried to study his features past the spill of long hair, only the richness of it blanketed the guy's cheekbones.

"They were horrible. Easily the worst thing I've ever put in my mouth," Bella said, never looking up at him.

She was studying the menu now, despite him knowing for a damned fact that she had it memorized. They both did. "I hope for your sake that it was the worst idea you've ever come up with outside of thinking I'd want you to flirt with me after that."

Angel knew she could be cold and downright cruel when the mood called for it, but even he was shocked by how hard she was trying to shut him down right off the bat. Angel knew to attribute it to the level of instant attraction she'd experienced, and the way she'd occasionally dropped wistful remarks about him in conversation over the course of the past few weeks, but damn. The guy recoiled a little and ducked his head more, while Billy scowled, a storm cloud of emotions darkening his features even more than the resting bitchface.

"Wow, you don't have to be a bitch about it!" Billy snapped when the bartender didn't say anything.

Bella's head jerked up and she whipped it around to face him. "Excuse me."

"No." Billy snapped. "So, the drink sucked? So what? Kacen just wanted to come over and say hi to an old friend."

"I don't know any Kacen's," she replied, glaring at him as hard as he was glaring at her. Only the bartender had finally turned so Angel was looking at him straight on and those eyes, a shimmering turquoise, with starburst patters of yellow around the iris. She used to come to the shop to have her hair braided and oh, my, god, no wonder Angel had been drawn to his hair, but—

Oh shit!

Eyes wide, Angel covered his mouth with his hand and leaned forward to bare witness to what was about to be the best reunion this side of Love and Hip-Hop season three.

"But you knew a Kaia Huges back in the day," he said. "I wasn't sure when I saw you that night at the bar, or I would have said something then," Kacen said. "You were one of the first people I thought about reconnecting with when I moved back to the neighborhood. I guess I hopped…"

He shook his head at that, reminding Angel of something else he'd noticed the night of the Banana Margarita Monstrosity. It was the way he didn't turn his attention to the next girl after Angel and Bella had walked away. He'd homed in on her almost immediately, never even glanced Angel's way despite his efforts to flit, and several times, when he'd looked up, it had been to see the bartender, Kacen, staring their way.

Bella's face had morphed from outraged and slightly pissed off to wide eyed and a bit stricken as she raked her eyes over Kacen's face, cocked her head, then looked down at herself. That's when the smile started. Soft and slow as she raised her head, then he joined in, only Billy didn't look ready to ease down, so Angel accidentally-on purpose spilled the ice that was left in his glass all over the hand Billy had braced on the table. The cold startled him enough that he jerked his hand away and glanced at Angel, who shook his head, hoping to convey to Billy what a bad idea it would be to involve himself further.

"Ka…" Bella began, pausing out of respect for the name her friend no longer went by.

It was one thing for Kacen to say it, it was another for someone to say it back without permission.

"I saw your show at Shockey's Wednesday night," Kacen explained. "That's when I knew it was you. You dance the same. Well, not the same, better. Umm, I'm sure you've had a lot more practice since high school."

OMG, Angel was squeeing inside and having to grip the base of his seat to keep from squirming in it. This was like the meet cute of the century playing out in front of him, only not exactly a meet cute since they knew one another before but holy shit, this was better than daytime television.

"I am such a bitch," Bella blurted, pressing her fingertips to her lips.

That seemed to be the combination of words Billy needed before he stopped glaring her way while fanfare, and some genuine complaints about the unfairness of him being allowed to sing, announced the arrival and Ajay and Shanny, who'd brought Leith with them this again. That probably meant the Daddy Doms weren't far away. Nope, there they were, right behind their charges. Walker, Riggs and Ren, each never letting more than an arm's length grow between them and their respective boys. Protective, possessive. They were good men, exactly what he'd always wanted for his roommates and himself. He had a moment of wistful loneliness, a flashback to the past and seeing one of them come in with some asshole that would never be worthy of them, then Dion's face appeared through the strobe lights, and he was reminded of how lucky he'd gotten, too.

Dion saw him watching and waved, then veered to the bar to order something after Angel held up his glass to show Papi what he was drinking. The others didn't. They escorted Ajay, Shanny and Leith all the way to their table and got them situated before they went to order drinks.

"I am so singing Panic! At the Disco's Hallelujah tonight," Leith declared. "And Daddy said he'd sing Me! With me."

He squealed and kicked his feet a little, one clipping a table leg and making it wobble, but Angel couldn't blame him for being excited. He'd been trying to get Ren to sing with him ever since Leith had started accompanying Shanny and Ajay. No amount of begging, puppy dog eyes, and mock tears had been able to sway him, nor had attempted bribes and promises of outright filth. Angel had picked up a thing or two he was longing to try with Dion just listening to that conversation, but the only times Ren had gotten up were to go to the bar and get more drinks or use the men's room.

Ajay, on the other hand, pouted a little. "I can't even get my Daddy to sing a Sesame Street song with me."

"Because your Daddy sings like a seagull with a clam stuck in its throat," Walker said as he pressed a kiss to the top of Ajay's head and set a drink by his hand before taking a seat beside him.

Of course, that meant Ajay scooted his chair closer to him, so he could half-recline against Walker while they waited for things to get underway. Riggs and Shanny positioned themselves with one chair in front of the other, allowing Riggs access to Shanny's shoulders and neck. Angel knew from experience that Shanny in a social situation needed hands on him at all times or he ran off and got into shit. There would be no following impulses with those big mitts on his shoulders.

"Do you know what you're singing yet?" Angel asked Shanny, who'd been the only one without something worked out when they'd left the house this morning.

"It's Raining Men," Shanny replied.

"Oh lord," Riggs groaned. "If you do that then you'd better keep your little ass up on the platform and don't go leading a train around the room. You remember what happened when you and Tiny sang Jump! Last week."

"Hey, that was an awesome Kris Kross rendition," Shanny protested.

"I never said it wasn't," Riggs pointed out. "I asked if you remembered what happened."

"I Jump! Jumped! Right off the stage and did so much jumping with everyone else that I got overheated and you had to take me home early ‘cause you were afraid I was gonna pass out," Shanny replied. "I won't do it again. I'll stay where I'm supposed to."

"Good boy," Riggs replied before leaning over to kiss the top of his head.

No one had ever gotten Shanny to sound so solemn, or show so much understanding for why the rules were what they were. It wasn't that Shanny had been bratty intentionally, he was just impish and impulsive and never really had the chance to be a kid. Riggs and Tiny gave him freedom with structure and here was Tiny now, hair still dripping from the shower.

"Wasn't sure if you were going to make it," Riggs remarked as he scooted his chair over a little, so they were both seated behind Shanny, side by side and able to touch each other as much as they were touching him.

"Neither was I," Tiny admitted. "Offloading took forever, and I'd have just sucked it up, showered onboard, and left straight from the dock, only the shower died two days in, and things got disgusting quick."

Angel wrinkled his nose at that, then cuddled into Dion's embrace as his Papi finally slid into the chair behind him with two of the cosmobellinis he knew Angel loved.

"So, did I miss anything good?" Papi murmured in his ear.

"Your sister leaving tread marks all over her tongue again," Angel explained as he stared off down the table to where Bella and Kacen were in their own little world of animated conversation. "Looks like they've worked it out though."

"Who is he?"

"An old friend. She'll tell you more, I'm sure."

"Well, he's not anyone I know."

The gruff, big brother vibe came through loud and clear, so Angel tugged his hand until it was resting on his thigh, then leaned back against his Papi.

"She's fine, you don't have anything to worry about there," Angel assured him.

"I'd better not."

"Dion. Please trust me on this one."

Papi's breath tickled his cheek when he exhaled and gave Angel a little squeeze. "I'll leave it be for now, but I'll be keeping an eye on him."

"I know," Angel said, hugging his arm close.

"You still haven't told me what song we're singing together tonight," Papi pointed out. "I hope you have a backup plan for if I don't know it."

"You know it."

"How do you know that?"

"Caught you singing along with it when you were making coffee the other morning."

"That could be anything, depending on what radio station I had on."

"Then it's a good thing I signed us up first so you wouldn't have to wait too long to find out."

"I've been waiting all week, ya little menace. I even quizzed Bella but apparently, you'd refused to tell her too so I couldn't taunt her with little pink snack cakes until I'd wormed the answer out of her."

"You are not a worm, you are a weasel, especially when you threaten my little pink purrrrfections that way," She called out, shaking a finger at him.

Everybody at their table laughed, as did a few at the table next to him, then they settled in to listen to the host announce an upcoming karaoke contest, as well as the Slip n' Slide Extravaganza. They were just days away now. Only time would tell if they packed the park and filled the neighborhood with visitors.

No time to think about that now. With the announcements over, Angel and Dion were called up, the opening notes immediately cluing Dion in on what it was. The way Papi smiled at him, then slid his hand up Angel's arm, hooking it behind his neck to draw him close, made it feel like they were the only two people in the world.

Dion sang the first two words.

Angel answered with the responding declaration.

They didn't have to turn around because they were eye to eye with those haunting piano notes echoing around them and energy coursing through them the deeper they got into the song. They broke apart when the tension built, each pacing to a different part of the low platform that made up the stage. Beseeching, they'd cast glances over their shoulders at one another as they sang, until the energy revved up again, singing to and with one another before bringing the song to its soft, dramatic end. It left Angel leaning back in Papi's arms, one of Dion's arms wrapped around him while Angel reclined, microphone in hand as he gazed up Papi as the final notes faded away.

It took a moment for the cheers and whistle to sink in, only because he was lost in the heat of Dion's gaze as he drew closer and kissed him. If anything, that brought a few more cheers and catcalls before they got down from there and returned to their seats.

"Glad I don't have to follow that," Angel said, fist bumping him.

"You're a lying mcbullshitter but I'll take the complement," Angel replied, chuckling when Ajay stuck his tongue out at him.

"I was talking to Dion," Ajay said.

This time, Angel didn't hesitate to flip him off. "Sure you were."

"Alright, you two behave before I have to put this one across my knee in front of everyone," Dion threatened.

Angel giggled at that, until he noticed the look on Ajay's face and started to wonder what the hell his friend was up to.

"Okay, help me out here," Ajay said at last, looking quite torn about something, "'cause I'm not sure if a good friend is supposed to behave so you'll stop getting into trouble, or keep on misbehaving so you'll join in the fuckery too?"

Papi snorted at that, droplets of his drink hitting the table even as he fumbled for a napkin to press to his lips.

Before Angel could answer, Walker leaned in and grumbled enough to be heard over the intro to the next song. "The path of mischief making has much more potential than being good, doesn't it?"

When Ajay's face lit up, Angel knew his bottom was on the line, depending on what his friend said. "Always, Daddy."

"So how are we going to choose?" Walker asked.

For a moment, Angel figured it was a rhetorical question, one Ajay wasn't supposed to answer because he knew it meant for him to be good. Only Ajay lifted up enough to slide a hand in his pocket, pulled out a green and silver die, and rolled it on the table. Angel's eyes about bugged out of his head when the die stopped tumbling to reveal the word naughty .

Oh shit!

"Seriously?" Dion huffed, staring across the table at the other Dom.

"I can't expect my boy to be a good boy all the time," Walker explained with a smirk and a shrug. "The die gets to make the decision for him, and once a day he can ignore what the die says and do what he wants, but only if he's willing to face the consequences."

"Where the hell did you find that?" Dion asked, sounding interested enough that Angel grew excited at the thought of getting in on the game too.

"I told Ajay about them," Leith said proudly.

"And I got them at Glamours Things," Ren explained. "They come in two dice sets, but the other one isn't for public spaces."

Angel watched Papi put the information in his phone. "Glamours Things, on Lombard Street?"

"That's the one."

"Thanks, I'm curious to see what else I find there."

"Raunchy games, conversation starters, kinky charades," Ren explained. "That's just the tip of the iceberg. "We've got a bookcase full of games that are just for sexy time together or when friends are joining in. Speaking of which, Ren has been chomping at the bit to host a pool party/slumber party at our place as soon as we can get our schedules to line up."

His words prompted everyone to start reaching for their phones, a surge of excitement rippling around the table, even Billy, until he paused for a moment and looked straight at Leith.

"Even me?" he asked hesitantly. "I don't have anybody to bring."

"Then it's a good thing I've got an old friend I'd planned to invite so he'd stop mopping around alone," Ren explained. "Bella, if you'd like to invite your friend, he's more than welcome."

All conversation paused for a moment, as they turned their attention towards Bella and Kacen.

"Do you wanna join me?" Bella asked, eyes lighting up the moment he nodded his head.

"Hell yeah," Kacen replied.

"That settles that," Ren said before turning his attention back to the day planner on his phone. It was awesome the way they'd become their weird extension to their already close-knit family, even if it had only been seven months since Ren and Leith had hired Ajay to sing at their kink club. If it hadn't been for that, and his weird and infuriating run in with Walker, things might have been different for each of them. Now if only they could find that special someone for Billy to make the circle complete.

Though judging from the look on his friend's face, it was clear that despite saying yes, Billy clearly didn't know what to think.