Kaden: Holy fuck dude

Kaden: Has the ignoring you not been enough of a hint?

Kaden: Also, $5 you call a lot of people beautiful

Ender: Lol You can ignore me all you want over drinks lol

Ender: I save beautiful for the beautiful hunnies. And ur one 😜

Ender: Quit playing, we both know you want to see me again

-two weeks ago-

Ender: Hey

-one week ago-

Ender: Hey

-4 days ago-

Ender: ur so beautiful and I never send that to anyone

-today-

Ender: Hey

;;

The coward chickens out. He takes one step forward and just about immediately flees. “Oh, did I hurt your feelings?” Dominic words trail after him, mocking him unabashedly. He hopes he has hurt his feelings. If Dominic didn’t know any better, he thinks scares the other. Good. Dominic loves inspiring a little fear.

“Did that guy just leave?”

Dominic turns to see a waiter and raises his glass at him. “Sure looks like he did, doesn’t it sport?”

“He didn’t pay.”

Dominic makes a face that clearly says: ‘Why should this bother me?’ The waiter, in turn, holds out the stranger’s check. 

“Excuse me?”

“You were together.”

“Uh no, we weren’t.”

But they had been standing together for a good 5 to 10 minutes. It is an understandable mistake.

“Guess you better find him then -” The waiter responds stoically, “- or I’m putting it on your tab, George.” Dominic realizes he recognizes this waiter. “He’s been beta orbiting the entire evening. Someone’s paying for all the scotch.”

And with that, the server is gone, disappearing into the crowd before Dominic can ask if he’d happened to catch the loser’s name. With the frustrated ‘what the fuck,’ Dominic turns around just in time to see the tail of the beta’s suit jacket disappearing into the bathroom. Fine! This should be easy enough. Swirling his drink, Dominic downs it in one go.

The dark, glossy tiled bathroom is empty - except for one closed stall door. Dominic enters and quickly spots the coward’s hiding space, hearing the shuffling behind it. It has to be the guy. “Hanging out in the club bathroom,” Dominic calls out. “This is really taking me back to my coked out college frat boy days —” 

He takes a few steps forward - and that’s when he hears it. A soft sniffling. A heavy inhale. “What the fuck?” Dominic exclaims out loud. “Are you CRYING?” His voice gets louder at the word ‘crying’ and it’s good thing there’s no one else in here otherwise he’s certain the embarrassment would have made the other burst into full-blown tears.  With swift strides, Dom crosses over to the stall and bangs his fist on the door. He jiggles the cheap metal handle when the other makes it clear that he’s not going to let him in. Crying? What is this? High school?

“What did you think was gonna happen you beta bitch? You were off your game the second you stepped up to the plate. Did you think you were going to - what? Sweep them off their feet? Serious question - has that ever worked out for you?” Dominic’s glaring, drilling holes into the metal of the door as if his acid stare can reach the man on the other side. He’s still listening intently. “Jesus - would you - would you STOP crying on the seat of this bathroom stall like some goddamn 19-year-old? Why is your Rolex the realest thing about you?”

He gives one last smack to the door. Fuck! Whatever! He should finish what he came here for. 

“Whatever. Cry. No one cares if this all links back to some unaddressed trauma about how your dad left for a pack of cigarettes and never came back. I’m here because you’ve got to pay your bill. The server seems to think we’re together so if you don’t, I’m gonna have to close out for you… and there’s no way in hell I’m paying for a bunch of Glengoyne wasted on the likes of you.” A pause. “Take a bump or whatever it is you need to man the fuck up and get back out there.”

Nothing. Dominic jostles the door once more. 

“Open the door. I just wanna talk.” 

░

Unsurprisingly at all, the sound of the other Dominant’s voice strike anxiety and fear in Ender’s heart in equal measures. He can’t take any more tonight, he just can’t. So he tries to quickly straighten up, though the banging on the door which makes Ender jump does nothing to settle his nerves. In fact, the way he falls silent while digging his palms into his clenched eyes are indicative of the duress he feels. 

Ender doesn’t know why this is happening, or what he did do warrant the rage of this guy. He just wants it to stop, he wants to take this whole night back. His throat burns, his heart pounds, and all he can do his shrink away from the banging sounds against the stall door. It’s a pathetic display, he knows it’s a pathetic display, but there’s just something about the poison his assailant is spewing that hits every. Last. Nerve. The panic he feels is quickly eating away at his grit, and before he knows it Ender snaps.

“Shut up!” he screams, raising his head and wiping his face. “Shut up shut up shut up! What’s your fucking problem, huh?! Why are you doing this?! What did I ever do to you?!” He’s trembling where he stands, unable to contain himself any longer. In response to the banging on the stall door, Ender slams his palm against it too. “I’m not ... crying! You don’t know me, you don’t know a damn thing about me! You don’t ... you can’t...” He’s thinking about his father now, and his occasional feelings of inadequacy when it comes to expressions of dominance. Is he really that transparent? Or maybe this guy is just that good at getting under people’s skin. 

Either way, Ender’s not going to take it from him lying down any longer. “You wanna talk? Fine, then ... fuck you! We’re done talking. Now go be a good little bitch and pay my tab. Just leave me alone!” Anger, humiliation, and fear all swirl together in Ender’s mind and in response he forces himself to gather his courage and be strong if only for a moment. His influencer gods would kick his ass if they saw him cowering away from a challenge. Ender is the man after all, the alpha, the one on top. He doesn’t need any of this crap. “Yeah, that’s all you are, a mean little pussy bitch who’s only good for servicing real Doms. Like me. And you can’t do anything about it.” Yeah, that’s right. If this guy is already on the hook for paying Ender’s tab, then all Ender has to do is stay in the stall. He can wait this dude out and slip away before anyone who witnesses his embarrassment can see him again and start laughing. He slams his palm against the door a couple more times in an attempt to intimidate the other. “What are you going to do, huh? Nothing, that’s what. You can’t lay a finger on me. Ha!” 

For a moment, after the other dom walks away, Micah is ready to grab the other man a drink and disappear back into the crowd - not that he doesn’t appreciate the efforts of the other, but its no more than what any of the bouncers would have done to chase off a misbehaving dom, had he been able to find them in the crowd. So he just smiles at the others words - until the dominant stumbles through some sort of sentence about handouts, and gratitude - and then the clumsy way he brings up Micah staying near by - and at that, he umderstands. There are plenty of kinds of people that find their way into the club each night, and Micah is well adapted to what will bring each of them back. So he just blinks up at the dom, smile on his face as he leans in, two glasses being placed in front of the pair by one of the bartenders. “Of course. At the very least, I should share a drink with my savior, shouldn’t I?” He asked, taking a sip from the glass, before giving the other a assessing look. “So, do I get to know your name then, Sir?”

░

There’s a moment where Ender fears he overstepped, or at the very least he’d get rejected. But his face lights up when his invitation gets accepted. Obviously, it would’ve been a low blow for him if the sub moved on after Ender stepped in, so on the flip side he’s feeling over the moon at this turn of events. “Yeah, just one drink. Then you can get back to work, I’d hate to get in the way of your work.” A little giddy, he grasps a glass and drums his fingers against it. “But I guess the smart move would be to get involved in your job a little bit.” He’s feeling good, pulling lines out of some place in his mind and firing them off like a pro. “My name is Ender. What’s yours?” It’s at that moment Ender brings the glass to his lips to take a sip, however he also realizes that he can still slip in another compliment. “Beautiful,” he tacks on, as he drinks, which leads to him choking and coughing softly. However, he feels he plays it off well. 

.

The idea of questioning it soon being faded away. Keegan’s agenda didn’t have to resort to embarrassing the other person. “Time. Sure, my lips are sealing regardless.” They followed through by using a zipping motion across lips. Keegan wasn’t sure to make of it. It kind of enhanced his curiosity as he assumed this person was a dominant but on the other side of the spectrum subs were brats. They could be. “If you need some help I can be your wingman for a free drink? I can give you a few ice breakers for whoever you set your sights on. Plenty of hotties around here.” Keegan hoped he wouldn’t take it the wrong way. Keegan would only classify it as being resourceful. 

░

“No I don’t need help!” he snaps, realizing quickly that he’s starting to get a bit agitated. What that means is that his voice his rising, making him sound like less of an alpha. “Look, I’m not just some run of the mill Dominant. I’m an apex-Dom, at the top of my game. I don’t take handouts because I don’t need them. I take care of business and do it without breaking a sweat.” Yeah, that parroting of the internet content he consumes daily sounded cool. Enough so that Ender could feel himself regaining some lost confidence. “So ... if you’re fishing for a drink you don’t need to put yourself out like that. Just keep being your cute self.” Might as well, right? He is standing right there and the ice is broken. Ender’s only blunder is that his wink is more of a blink than anything, but he still wears a self-satisfied look on his face, thinking he delivered his lines perfectly. 

For someone that talked to himself this one didn’t seem to have much of a sense of humour. He shook his head and shrugged “I wasn’t, but you keep calling me buddy, and I’ll do more than make fun of you.” he warned. Zane thought the guy could take a joke but apparently not.  He didn’t want to pick a fight, he hadn’t meant to start one, but would he fuck let this prick threaten him when he was trying to cheer him up. That was too fucked up.

░

Looking the guy over, Ender can tell he’s taller. Maybe even a little bigger. He has no business getting confrontational with someone like that. And yet...

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he questions, stepping towards the other as an after thought. “Buddy,” he adds for good measure. Is he nervous? Yes. But he’s also frazzled, and Ender quickly surmises that if he made a fool of himself by ducking away then maybe he can reclaim some pride by mogging this dude.

Ok…. The guy must at least be a bit cuckoo if he was that frantic to buy her drink too. Elle didn’t see the drama in two dominants, each picking up their tab, and having a conversation, but something told her that it was better to leave it alone rather than make him even more nervous than he already seemed. Insecure, even.  “Oh yeah? Good, then, I will love to hear about all the subs so I know which one to turn to when I’m looking for a night of fun.”

;;

░ 

Ender glances at her, frowns, then glances away. Okay, maybe he’s not as much of an expert as he says, however he can’t let her in on that. “Well, the ones I frequent are pretty hooked on me. I doubt you could steal them away,” he smirks. And yes, Ender is talking about multiples even though he hasn’t gotten lucky in a while. “But there are a few who haven’t gotten a taste of me. Yet.” His fingers start drumming against the counter while he tries to come up with names. He’s drawing a blank and frowns even harder as a result. “That bartender sure is taking his time...”

She can’t help her eyes rolling as he answered so heatedly. He was one of those then - averse to anyone else seeing him in any kind of vulnerable position. She scoffed, finding the situation all the more amusing because of that.

“Mhm, very corageous to hide and regroup.” She told him, arms folded over her stomach, brow risen, unimpressed. “What happened; did a sub rebuff your macho advances?” She asked, face softening with some form of empathy. “Or perhaps you didn’t even get that far…?”

░ 

He scowls, for despite her “concerned” words, Ender picks up on her mocking tone. After his display and her assertive assistance, he’s not really sure how much more his ego can take. It’s honestly almost uncharacteristic for him to keep a level head at this point, but he’s hyperaware of his situation. After his blunder, Ender doubts he can lose his cool and not look like anything but a little bitch.

“The situation changed and I ... adjusted. That’s all!” he practically whines like a petulant child. Immediately after, he clears his throat. When Ender opens his mouth again, his voice is noticeably a few pitches deeper. “It’s a common curtsey thing more than anything. Some other Doms moved in and I want to give them a chance. If the subs even got a whiff of me, they wouldn’t be able to resist. You know what I’m saying?”

xx

The thing about Dominic is: he’s the sort of guy that he sets the parameters for most social interactions on his own terms. It’s clear the this guy wants the ground to swallow him up and for Dominic to go away. But Dominic doesn’t. The way he sees it, he’s still got at least half a whiskey to finish and so he’s staying till he is done. He takes a step closer and this “alpha” buckles under his pretense. Dominic watches him tremble. ‘Who is this guy?’ Really, the part that grates on him the most is that Dominic feels like he’s not talking to a real person, but rather just the projected image of a person. And look, Dominic George lies. He lies as well and as often as he breathes. But he spends five minutes with this man and realizes that whatever this is, whoever he is, is far, far worse than the deceit Dominic’s participates in day in and day out. It’s a whole new brand of pathetic.

Anyway, Dominic’s still got half a whiskey tumbler to go. He’s not letting this guy off the hook, even when he starts muttering about long cons and letting the situation cool. “No…” Dominic says, drawing out his mock disappointment, “Where’s that confidence? Come on,” He ribs, nudging the man with his elbow. A steady current of cruelty runs just underneath his words. “Come on, I want to see the master at work.” His eyes grow darker, his words more insistent. “What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet. This is nothing for someone like you. Look,” Dominic points at the group. “They’re looking at you.”

And they are. The group is looking right at Ender, clearly more than aware at this point that they’ve been the object of his and Dominic’s conversation. They’ve started snickering. 

“See? They clearly want you to go over there and talk to them.” Dominic says. He puts a hand on the small of Ender’s back and leans in close to his ear. “Just, you know, be your regular, cool self.” Dominic lets out a cold snicker of his own. He gives a small, forceful push, sending Ender in their direction before bringing his drink up to his lips. “Go on, show me what you’ve got.”

░

Ender’s not an idiot, he can tell exactly what’s happening. This guy has a way of speaking—a patronizing, condescending way—where his “supportive” words were hardly such. Ender was still being made fun of. Even worse, he was feeling like control over the whole situation was plucked from his hands and held hostage by this stranger. These feelings of shame and belittlement were brought on so quickly Ender isn’t sure how he would’ve countered. This guy barely did anything yet was able to easily dominate Ender in his moment of weakness. He knows the knotting feeling in his gut well from the descriptions of his influencer gods. This must be what it feels like to be completely and totally cucked. 

He hates it, but can’t even bring himself to fight back. He’s effectively taking the mocking lying down, and that’s probably the most humiliating thing about this all. Even more so than the giggling subs now in on the joke, waving him over probably to make him feel worse. That’s when it clicks for Ender. All this is just for the bemusement of the Dominant behind him, clearly the superior one out of the two of them. How Ender allowed himself to get pushed around and made fun of so easily is beyond him, but after the hits to his ego he can’t handle facing the fact. He’s not the best Dom in the club tonight.

That’s when he realizes that he’s gone mute. How long was he standing there, lost in thought and gaping around like some idiot, letting the subs and this stranger make fun of him. “I-I ... I think I ate something. Bad. I can ... uh, go,” Ender stammers out. He can’t remember ever feeling this embarrassed but he immediately regrets even coming out tonight. In an attempt not to panic, he offers the group of subs an awkward nod and rushes off, purposefully not even looking at the stranger who put him up to that.

He can hear the submissives beckoning him back, apologizing even for “hurting his feelings” (his feelings are fine by the way), though the humor in their tone makes it hard for Ender to believe they’re sincere. Wouldn’t it have been grand if they were? Unfortunately, he’s hightailing it away until he finds a bathroom. He hurries into the nearest stall and slams it closed, huffing and groaning the moment he sits down on the closed toilet seat. 

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Ender mutters, hunched over, head in his hands, palms slamming against his head. It feels like a hot coal is burning through his throat, a sensation that’s exacerbated by his panic. How many other people saw what just happened? Nightingale was pretty full that night. How long before word got around town that Ender is the kind of beta-cuck he’s supposed to be superior to? How long before that guy gets hungry for blood and decides he wants to finish Ender off for good? “You’re the man, you’re the man...” he says to himself, clenching his eyes shut to withhold their moisture. His uneven breaths bounce off the walls of the stall in between sniffles. “You’re the man...”

`

    TRULY Graham didn’t know what he was doing here. He’d been feeling the itch for quite some time now and had always found exercise to be sufficient distraction from his need. It had been especially hard for Graham to keep up with his biological needs after Alec had passed. He wouldn’t let himself Dominate anyway. Didn’t feel like it even if he would let himself. So he got by. Graham had almost hired a professional submissive but that seemed very clinical and Graham did his best work when there was a connection. It was in this way that Graham found himself sipping a beer at a club called Nightingale. They said it was the place to go if you wanted to look but not touch.

  He’d only just finished his first beer before ordering another. Two would be his limit since he was driving home. He heard some muttering behind him and turned just in time to see a man duck behind some patrons and put his hand to his face. Graham didn’t think it was his business, but he still furrowed his brow. “Excuse me…” he said. “Are you quite alright?”

    Graham turned a discerning gaze toward the group to determine if they had some connection. “Did you just see an ex?” he ventured his guess. “I’d have hid from mine, too.”

░ 

While Ender is sure that the stranger’s concern sounds genuine, he can’t help but feel slightly offended that anything he does would be cause for some. Even this blunder is no exception. A Dominant isn’t supposed to be some helpless, pitiable ... sub. So naturally, he fights back as hard as he can against the implication. 

“Any exes of mine would hide from me, not the other way around. Why would I hide from one anyway? Do I look like the kind of Dom who’d be scared of a submissive?” There’s no real point to be found in his words, those are just the ones that came to his mind most easily after overcoming the shock of realizing that he’s humiliating himself. All that just so Ender can say the following.

Keegan was usually caught between observing and dancing. It was either one or the other and unfortunately the person they were meeting had fallen ill last minute. Legitimately. Like it wasn’t like a person who had bailed on a date. That kind of gig was not meant for a club. Sure, technically it could but they at least liked to hear the other person talk. Keegan was enthralled by dubstep music just as usual club-goer but that vibe was not a first date kind. “Easy there, Tiger. I think you may get a few looks by talking to yourself. “ The line was quipped towards the other. “I think you have a better shot then some of these folks with their cheesy pick up lines. That guy over there just used  Are you as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside?” Major fail. “Don’t be that guy.” Keegan laughed. Humor working wonders for the craziness.

░ 

The face Ender makes in response to the other’s words is something akin to a grimace. Honestly, he’s unsure of how to respond but he’s positive that he doesn’t like that someone’s overheard a conversation meant to be between himself and himself. But Ender does acknowledge that this guy may have a point, he’s unwittingly allowed himself to look like a spazz. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he finally manages once he realizes that he needs to do a little damage control. “I wasn’t talking to myself. I don’t talk to myself. I just needed to ... check the time.” It’s a lame excuse, but it’s the best Ender can come up with while he’s under duress. After all, he has no idea how much of that previous display was watched by this stranger and the mere idea of all he could’ve seen leaves Ender utterly embarrassed. 

Honestly, Zane can spot the little dance from a mile away, and he’s just interested in a fucking drink, he wasn’t much of a clubber, but then it was raining and he didn’t fancy being outside on a night like this. It already made him shiver just thinking about it. What he didn’t expect was to be at the bar with someone talking to themselves like he needed a pep talk or something, it was adorable, but awkward. It took a moment, watching the man fixing his hair, to make the decision he’d give a helping hand and bolster the other mans confidence “You can do it.” he interrupted “Whatever it is, I’m sure you can do it. You definitely look capable, if a little overwhelmed.”

░ 

The last thing Ender needs is a pep talk for his pickup game. It’s just below being heard psyching himself up. Unfortunately, it seems he’s gotten both much to his dismay. He’s honestly not sure which his more humiliating: the fact this guy is offering support or the fact that Ender must look like someone who needs it. 

“Are you trying to make fun of me?” he snaps, taking this whole scenario personally. “Because I can promise you buddy, I’m not someone who want to mess with.” Looking this guy over makes he’s even more sure he needs to stand his ground. Ender can’t let another Dom go on thinking he’s the inferior one in an interaction.

The man he’d all but grabbed blinked at him, and for a moment, Micah braced himself, ready to get called out on his own lie and have to figure out a way to slip away from two men without totally embarrassing himself. But after a few seconds pause, it seems that the other manages to kick himself into gear, the man turning towards the other Dom, and Micah takes full advantage of the move, sliding into the space between his now defender and the bar behind him, eyes wide. The other Dominant stands there for a moment, before muttering something about keeping his sub on a shorter leash before moving away, disappearing into the crowd, and Micah sighs. “I’m so sorry about that, but he wasn’t going to take no for an answer if it didn’t come from someone else” He apologizes, before turning to flag down one of the bartenders. “Let me get you a drink to make up for it sir.”

░ 

Pure satisfaction is what Ender feels as he watches the other Dom walk away. He’s done it, he’s actually done it. Like a hero, he’s saved the day, and he can only imagine how swoon worthy this sub found the whole display. “Really, it was no trouble at all. I would’ve done the same for any submissive,” he says. ‘Because I’m just that cool,’ he thinks. Ender would never say that part out loud, because such an affirmation would be a total beta move in that situation. “A drink? I guess it’s alright. I don’t usually take handouts, but gratitude on your part should be...” Ender really wasn’t sure what point he was trying to make, though despite the clumsy way he trails off into silence his self-satisfied smirk doesn’t waver. He signals his glass to the bartender, silently asking for a refill of the same. “But there’s no assurance that he’ll leave you alone. You should spend some time with me, to really sell the story. After all, you are supposed to be mine, right?”

“Are you, now?” The blonde woman was stood above him, looking down at him with an amused expression. She had only wanted a drink; she didn’t expect to find a fellow dominant cowering out of view and being frantic with his hair.

“May I?” She asked, hands up to gesture wanting to finish fixing his hair for him. “I’ll do a better job than looking in a dodgy mirror will get you.” She attempted humour, wanted him to relax a little. Whatever he was pent up about can’t have been all that essential… surely? Unless there was an eveil mastermind hatching an evil plan in the building…

“What’s got you all fussed?” She rose a brow. “If you’re not opposed to my asking.”

░ 

For one, Ender is shocked and embarrassed that someone’s actually heard his self-conversation. Even further, this woman exudes all the confidence he was attempting to show, and so effortlessly too. So shocked is he that instead of formally answering, he kind of stutters out an incoherent response. Yeah, not his finest moment. 

So needless to say, Ender interprets her “help” as an affront. He’s a Dominant too. He doesn’t need to be helped. “Nothing has me fussed. I’m fine,” he responds belligerently, a petulant hand going back into his hair following her straightening to “fix” her handiwork. Not that doing so accomplished much besides putting it out and then back into place.

“I’m just on the prowl. Sometimes, a shift in tactics is necessary. That’s all this is.”

xxx

He’s sitting at the bar, focused on his own drink when the man next to him moves abruptly enough that he has to look, hiding behind the brim of his glass. Normally, the Nightingale is his place of work but tonight, thankfully, is his night off and he gets to just enjoy on the other side of the bar for once. And boy, is he amused.

You’re the man, you’re the man. Ryker almost chokes on his drink as he hears the quiet words, letting out a laugh before he covers his mouth with the back of his wrist to try and stop himself from laughing further, clearing his throat. “Sorry. That was just… Funny.” He chuckles before biting down on his lower lip to stop himself from laughing yet again, letting his teeth drag until he finally lets go once he’s certain he won’t.  “But I’m sure even the man has an off day.”

░ 

It’s like he can feel his soul fall out of his body as he hears the faint laughter, along with his pride and confidence. Ender almost can’t bring himself to turn and face the man laughing at him. He does, of course, not wanting a stranger to think he’s the type that would let hits to his ego go without consequence. Though, the stern expression he intends to wear wavers into something more akin to nervousness. 

“Funny? No I--” Throat tight, Ender has to take a beat to clear his as well. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he finally resolves to say, his voice’s pitch noticeably deeper when he speaks again.  Those private assurances of his were meant to be just that, so finding out he had a spectator is terribly embarrassing and he has no idea how to recover. So he flounders. “I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but I don’t have off days. So don’t laugh at me!”

“I’m all for freedom of subs and all, but I’m going to go on a limb here and say you’re not one.” a raise of an eyebrow “I don’t think I ever met one that wanted to buy me a drink at least.” a tap of her fingers against the wood bar “How about each buys they drink and you tell me all the good spots to find cute subs on?”

;;

░ 

To Ender, his status as a Dominant should be blatant. Constant. Visible with no room for doubt. The implication that he’s anything but--no matter how slight--is not something he can tolerate, so naturally he over compensates. “Drinks are on me,” he asserts, almost frantically waving the bartender down to ensure he orders before she can. “I’d be happy to tell you all about the subs in town and their habits. I’m an expert, I can promise you that,” he says to her, meaning to sound nonchalant but coming across terse instead.