Free Lunch Anyone?

[Desmond Giuseppe]

Desmond lead Josh into the Liberty Diner where there was a bright Rainbow flag flapping in the breeze just outside. Desmond was hopping that Josh was gay for a number of reasons; one being that he was really starting to like him and two being that Josh wouldn't mind eating in the gayest diner in Pittsburgh. Upon entering the diner Desmond saw that the twins and Debbie were working today. He turned to Josh.

"Ok, um, this is the diner." he said a little awkwardly, "Um, I feel the need to warn you about the people who work here; Debbie is pretty cool, she's a waitress here, she's very um, open minded to say the least and has quite the mouth on her for a woman her age. Jude is the bus boy and he's very cynical and paranoid; he's afraid of someone from his school finding out his gay and it's really starting to fuck him up psychologically, he'll probably give you some attitude, but it's best just to let it slide. Jewls is Jude's twin sister and she's a very sweet girl, not very much like her brother at all, she's a waitress. So, um, let's get a seat." Desmond lead Josh to a booth right at the window and sat down. "Debbie or Jewls will be around soon to take our orders." he assured Josh.

[doherty]

Josh listened to Desmond's strained little speech. He felt obligated to do so, seeing as the kid was buying him lunch... which he was very grateful for. "Thanks for the tour," he said after Desmond was finished, then grinned as he slid into a seat. He kept his eyes trained on Desmond's and thought it was funny boy the boy only met his gaze every once in a while. Desmond was exactly the type of boy Josh was attracted to: submissive and eager. The older man reached into his pocket and automatically removed a pack of cigarettes. He looked across the table at Desmond. "Do you mind?" he asked, taking one out and placing it between his lips. He honestly had no desire to hear Desmond's decision... but he figured he should play it safe so he could get a good meal.

[Desmond Giuseppe]

Desmond could hold his gaze on Josh for too long without his face turning bright scarlet so he only chanced a few subtle looks. Josh was very gorgeous and had a sexy attitude to match; not caring and overall just plain cool. Then Josh got his ciggy-poos out.

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all." said Desmond with a smirk, "as long as you spot me one." He only smoked occasionally, but since Josh already had his cigarettes out Desmond figured why not?

[doherty]

Josh raised an eyebrow. He thought maybe the kid was just trying to impress him, seem more mature than he really was... but Josh wasn't going to say anything against it. "Sure," he muttered, then held the pack out to him. He waited for Desmond to put a cigarette between his lips, then he held the lit lighter underneath it. All the time he peered at Desmond, becoming more and more attracted to the shy blush that crept into Desmond's pallored cheeks every time their gaze met.

Now this was a new thing for Josh. Getting attached? And before having sex, at that? He was slipping in his old age. Josh shrugged inwardly. He knew this would probably mean nothing to him in the morning when he was begging for his next meal.

Josh pocketed the lighter and cigarettes and took a drag.

[Desmond Giuseppe]

Desmond took a deep puff from his cig and blew it away from Josh.

"I normally don't smoke." he said honestly; he didn't want Josh to think he was just trying to be cool, "but if some one else is smoking I'll bum one off of them. So, do you normally play in the park?" He really wanted to get to know Josh a little, even if after he left the diner they never saw each other again Desmond wanted to enjoy the time while it lasted. He had a lot of trouble finding the right guy, there were always too self absorbed or too promiscuous, but Josh seem different some how.

[doherty]

Josh shrugged. "I don't know... I just play wherever I can." Josh moved his foot to gently kick the guitar case he had put under the table [...yeah... I totally did that.] It was a comfort thing. Just making sure it was there. He always had paranoid moments where he thought his guitar had been stolen or he misplaced it, and that was always a very bad time. At least for anyone he experienced during the freak out. That was his first and only guitar... and God knew he didn't have money for another one. "Thank for stopping, by the way," he said. "Not many people do. And this..." He looked around the diner. "Was a bit too much. At least if your paying for my talent." He grinned to show he was joking and not being a sad, suffering artist.

[Desmond Giuseppe]

"It's really no problem." said Desmond with a smile. He didn't want Josh to think he was just buying him dinner for some act of charity or just to do a good deed, Desmond kinda felt an instant connection with Josh and just wanted an opportunity to get to know him better. "It just . . . kinda felt like right. . . you're very talented. I play the guitar too but I don't have the courage to play by myself for complete strangers."

[doherty]

Josh took a moment to let what Desmond had said sink in. Was this kid genuinely... liking him? Strange thought, that. "Thanks," he said sincerely. Sure, people had commented on how well he played before, but this was something different. Maybe it was just that this kid was so damn cute. Yeah, that was probably it. "You play the guitar?" Josh asked, continuing the conversation. "Well, fancy that. Kindred spirits." Then, in response to his comment about courage, "It's not courage that lets me play in front of people. It's just... need. It helps me get to the next meal and it helps empty out my head sometimes, you know. Singing what I feel kind of makes those feelings go away." He shrugged. "I don't know what the hell I'm saying, but... you should try it some time." He grinned. "Or at least play for me."

[Desmond Giuseppe]

Desmond had been so absorbed in what Josh was saying that he almost forgot that he had asked if he plays guitar. "Oh, ah, Yeah, I play guitar." said Desmond snapping out of it, with a shrug; he wasn't that good so it really wasn't anything to brag about. "I'm ok at it I guess. I've written a few songs, nothing I'd ever play in public because they're absolute crap. I do like to sing thought, I've had a decent part in the school musical the past few two years. I'm hoping for a lead this year because I'm a senior, I also hope it's a decent musical; West Side Story would be cool. Requires a lot of guys to be in the dressing room. . . . To bad the school could never do anything really cool like Rent, Rocky Horror picture show or The Producer, which all coincidentally involve some form of drag. I don't dressing up like a chick, but if I had to to play Angel, Dr. Frankenfurter, or Roger Dubrie I don't think I'd mind all that much." Desmond realized he was talking a lot, he had the habit of doing it, but he wasn't embarrassed about it; it's who he is and he didn't want to put on some sort of act to impress Josh. He was comfortable being himself.

[doherty]

Josh grinned widely as he watched Desmond ramble on. "You're cute," Josh said once the rambling was finished. Then, to ensure that Desmond didn't have to awkwardly reply to that little comment, he continued speaking. "Ah, a singer. Impressive. You look like a singer. And break a leg, with the whole... production thing." And so it was revealed. Desmond was still in high school. Which made him, what, seventeen? Josh suddenly hoped that he was eighteen. What, did that mean he planned on spending more time with...? Well, enough thinking about that. "I'm not much of a musical man," he revealed, shrugging. "Although I'm up for anything, especially if it involves the joy of drag. Not that I do it. Because I don't." That was the only time he seemed at all defensive. He was bisexual, after all, and still considered himself a manly man. Maybe that's why he still held onto the whole 'liking chicks' thing... Well, he wasn't into that whole psychology thing. Mustn't be bothered by it. Josh leaned back in his seat, bouncing slightly against the back of the booth [are we in a booth? wtfe.]. He was perfectly content with just looking at Desmond... which was all he was going to be doing if he was indeed only seventeen. Please let him be legal, he thought to himself.

[Desmond Giuseppe]

Desmond smiled and blushed when Josh told him he was cute, but before Desmond could say 'thanks' Josh went rocketing off into another topic of conversation. "Well, like I said, I'd only do drag for the sake of portraying a character, I wouldn't do it for the hell of it." he assured Josh, "You should see some of the guys at Babylon who go in drag, they look like very ugly chicks, it's weird. I used to go to Babylon a lot more before I turned 18 because it was just more fun going when I wasn't allowed you know? But not it's kind of lost its luster for me. All the same stupid sweaty muscle builders there night after night; I'm so bored with it. No one there ever tries to stand out you know? Anyway, have you ever been to Babylon?" Desmond knew he was talking a lot again but Josh didn't seem to mind, on the contrary, Desmond was getting the vibes that Josh was finding it attractive and that mad him extremely happy. Josh was so much different than any guy Desmond had ever met. Every other guy in Pittsburgh seemed to be so fake, but Josh, Josh just acted like himself and that was a huge turn on.

[doherty]

Josh smiled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Typical rebellious teenager thing." He nodded. "I went through the same thing. A bit of a different situation than yours, I'd say, but same principal idea."

Anyway, have you ever been to Babylon?

Josh looked thoughtful, then nodded. "Riiight, isn't that the place with the... dancing and the... back room?" In all honesty, he hadn't been involved in the dancing and hadn't seen anything other than the dark area where all the nasty was done. "Been there only once. That was all I needed." He sighed a bit. "Crazy place, that. But you're right. Just the cookie cutter muscle men whose IQ are lower than their dick size." The second after he said that, he winced. "Excuse my language," he apologized.

[Desmond Giuseppe]

Desmond laughed "No it's cool." he said to the language comment, "You should hear my friend Audrey; she's nasty. But, anyway, you're better off just not going to Babylon, seriously; once is enough. Audrey just drags me there a lot, she thinks it's fun, even if we do see her dads there every once in a while which I think is just awkward. I prefer to just spend a quiet night alone with my guitar, even if I am crap at it. It's for more enlightening than dancing with the dick-less assholes at Babylon." Desmond pause for a second, "I wonder where the fuck our waitress is." he said trying to hold back his annoyance. It wasn't like the diner was particularly busy. "Do you know what you want? I think I'm going to get a cheese burger in fries, it's truly a classic that never fails to satisfy. Maybe I'll even get a vanilla milkshake!"

[doherty]

Josh nodded. "Good advice," he said. "Really, my guitar's all I have. So when I'm not at Babylon... which is always... I'm with my guitar." He paused. "And now there's you to distract me." He grinned and fell silent to listen to Desmond rant about the service at the dumpy diner. Not that Josh was complaining: anything was good enough for him. As long as someone put food in his face. But that didn't seem to be the case here, because they hadn't even gotten a waitress. "Do I need to make a scene?" he said with a mischevious smile. He was good at making scenes. "I mean, I can cause a ruckus and maybe we'll get the manager himself to come waltzing out." Josh picked up his fork and boredly began to play with the tines on it. "Then the manager can take our order." He shrugged. "It's an idea."

[jude]

((Enter the twins for your hunger needs!))

They were having a busy night at the Diner and busy or not Jude took his fucking time at his job. They didn't pay him enough to rush, plus he had to take it easy because of his asthma, or so he told his boss. In reality his asthma was that bad, it was bad, but not that bad. Jude was going at a somewhat faster pace than usual cleaning up after all the queens that came through the diner and putting out new napkins and silver. He then noticed that the emo kid, Desmond or something, didn't have any napkins at his table, looked as though he hadn't gotten any service yet, and he was actually with someone who wasn't that pink haired bitch. Jude went over and put napkins in front of both the guys at the table and looked a bit longer than necessary at Desmond's date before turning to Desmond himself.

"Well, I'm glad you finally have a date." he said flatly, "Now maybe you won't spend all your time here staring at my ass. If you think you can keeps your pants on for a moment I'll go get Jewls." Jude went to get his sister rather quickly; Desmond's boyfriend looked like he might be the defensive type and Jude wasn't in the mood to get his ass kicked.

He found his sister yelling at the people in the kitchens.

"Those people over there have been waiting for over a half an hour for there food!" Jewls yelled with annoyance. Jude tapped her on the shoulder. "And those people over there have been here for over a half an hour and haven't even gotten their orders taken yet Jewls." he said, pointing over to Desmond's table. "Wake up, Julia." he snapped his fingers in her face before getting back to work.

[Desmond Giuseppe]

Desmond was about to respond to Josh when Jude came over. Desmond just smiled awkwardly at all the boy's comments and didn't speak until he was sure Jude was out of ear shot.

"um, that's Jude," he told Josh after a bit of an awkward pause, "he's pretty much like that all the time, kind of an asshole, but he's just a scared kid, not used to being gay you see."

[jewls]

"Huh, what?" Jewls said to her brothers retreating form. She then spotted Desmond at his talbe with another guy and they were beginning to look impatient. Jewls quickly ran over.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, "It's just been so busy and I'm a bit overwhelmed here. So, what can I get you two?"

[doherty]

When the kid Jude showed up, Josh stayed silent, despite his rudeness. Just as an afterthought, though, Josh peered at Jude's retreating ass and shrugged. It was alright, but not amazing. "Poor, frustrated kid," Josh said with an abundance of sarcasm. Just because the kid was confused about his sexuality didn't give him the rights to be a dick to everyone else. But that was just Josh's opinion.

The girl who showed up, Jewls, seemed sincerely flustered, so Josh decided to be a bit kinder. "It's alright... Can I just get a coke and a burger?" He peered at Desmond and, being polite, asked, "Is that alright?"

[Desmond Giuseppe]

"Sure." said Desmond with a shrug; just because he was paying didn't mean the Josh had to verify his orders with him, but it was still nice of him none the less, "I will have a cheeseburger with fries and a vanilla milk shake." said Desmond to Jewls.

[jewls]

Jewls wrote down the orders as the boys said them. "Aliright then," she said while tucking he note pad into her apron, "I'll be back in a bit with your drinks." Jewls then left to drop off the orders at the kitchen and tend to the other costumers.

[doherty]

Josh smiled at the girl as she retreated. "She's cute," he observed, then looked back at Desmond. "I'm starving," he admitted. He didn't actually want to think of the last meal he had. It was too long ago, unfortunately. And it hadn't been with someone like Desmond, of that Josh was sure. This was actually one of the only times he had ever been with someone in an actual restaurant, ordering food and the like. Usually he just got it from a vendor or a gas station, nothing fancy. This was a pleasant change. "Anyway, I promise to pay you back someday." Josh suddenly grinned, thinking to himself. Pay you back any way I can. He turned to peer out the window. Oh, God. I can't believe I'm a whore for food.

[Desmond Giuseppe]

Desmond laughed a little. "You don't have to pay me back." he said smiling and shaking his head, "I did this because I wanted to. I don't expect you to have to pay me back in one way or another." He really just wanted to do something nice for Josh; the poor guy looked like he hadn't had a decent meal in who knows how long. Desmond looked intently at Josh. "Do you have some place to stay tonight?" he asked quietly.

[doherty]

Josh's immediate reaction was to peer out the window. He couldn't help but be a bit ashamed... because this adorable kid was asking him, someone older, someone who was uspposed to be an adult, if he had a place to say. "I've got the great outdoors," he said, a tinge of sadness in his voice. Then, to make an attempt to seem a little less pathetic, he grinned. "It really is liberating, spending all your time outside. You should try it sometime." He paused, then shook his head. "Then again, maybe not." He sighed. "Don't think because you fed me you're obliged to find me a bed... because your not." His voice was lowered and without the confident swagger it usually held. Oh, no. Vulnerability.

[Desmond Giuseppe]

"I don't feel obligated," said Desmond gently, "I want to." Normally if he would buy a homeless guy dinner, cus you know that happens at least twice a day ( : P ), he would pay for the meal then let them be of, but Josh, he felt like he wanted to do anything for him, anything that would make him more comfortable. Apart from looking starved, Josh looked like he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in who knows how long. "but, if you'd rather just be one your way when your done eating that's ok. What ever you want to do."

[doherty]

Josh took a moment to think. Desmond wanted to take him home. Hell... Josh wanted Desmond to take him home. It wasn't that hard to realize. Josh reached across the table and layed his hand on Desmond's. "Listen, kid..." He stopped, corrected himself. "Desmond. I... I would be grateful if you gave me somewhere to sleep... but only if you're sure." He paused an looked down at his and Desmond's hands, quickly recoiling and sitting back in his seat. "But I can't promise I'll stay totally behaved," he added, grinning and revealing his confident and relaxed self once more.