JP and Simon, Saturday Night
Mar. 16th, 2013 07:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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om_mainJean-Paul and Simon juggle Jean-Paul's desire for closeness with Simon's desire for secrecy and somehow manage to enjoy themselves in the process.
The appetizer and dinner orders had been put in, and since they had the entire lounge to themselves, the students and their chaperones were taking the opportunity to move around and mingle. Jean-Paul was taking the chance to catch up with some of the students he'd hardly seen outside of class since before Christmas, but took a breather to go get a drink from the bar (which wasn't serving liquor to anyone who looked so much a whiff under 21, but there still plenty of non-alcoholic options).
Simon eased up next to him at the bar, leaning his arms on the surface as he ordered a coke with lime, then glanced aside at his roommate with a smile. Sure, he'd been keeping subtle tabs on Jean-Paul all evening. And maybe he'd wanted to have been closer to him than they had been. The fear of a waiter or server getting ideas or deciding to play amateur paparazzi had deterred him, though. "Hey. Looks like everyone is having a good time."
Jean-Paul flashed him a wicked grin as his Virgin Mary arrived. "So how many people did you expect me to insult before they took orders for appetizers?"
Simon rolled his eyes. "None. These are your friends. I know you better than to think you'd make a spectacle here."
"You are going to wreck my bad-boy image, Simon." Jean-Paul sipped his drink and resisted the urge to take Simon's hand. "Having fun?"
"You do a good enough job breaking your image on your own," Simon grinned, but glanced over his shoulder at the others. "It's nice, actually, to get out of the mansion with everyone. Well, not everyone, but a few people. I'm not really a party kind of guy, but it's nice to see them smiling."
"We could all use a break in routine. Even the enjoyable, exhausting ones, non?"
Simon blinked at him in confusion.
"The sports meets," Jean-Paul clarified. "I'll miss the time away--" With you. "--but I imagine we could both use the rest."
Oh. Simon's lips twitched at that, in something that was almost a smile before he schooled it away. "I could definitely use more time with my research. And, you know, maybe a week in bed." Near you.
"And I imagine I'll still have some trips to make, depending on what kind of endorsement deals I get lined up, if any. So maybe I can drag you along for company or something."
Something shifted in Simon's gaze; mostly amusement. "More photo-shoots? Why would you need me?"
"To keep from getting bored, of course. We all know I'm a brat. Or maybe your experiment includes the emotional side-effects as well as the physical."
They both knew that Simon's 'experiment' was mostly a cover, but the other teen rolled his shoulders thoughtfully. "I suppose it would at least round out my thesis and show a certain symmetry to the work."
Jean-Paul smiled down at the bartop. "You thought of everything, I see."
"I'm thinking on my feet here," Simon answered dryly. "It's not as if you're giving me a choice. You'll drag me with you whether I have a reason for it or not, just because you can." And because Simon would never refuse him.
"I'm thinking entirely of you," Jean-Paul protested. "My...roommate needs a break once in a while, and I know he'll worry about me if I'm gone for too long."
Which was entirely true. "Your roommate has been away from the school more than he's been at it lately," Simon pointed out with a smile that made it all too clear that the argument was moot. He'd follow Jean-Paul wherever he liked.
"God, you make it hard to be around you some days." Mostly because the urge to grab Simon by the lapels and haul him into a private room got stronger by the day. "What have you been up to?"
"Generally? Or tonight?" Simon asked dryly. "Mostly I've been drinking soda and waiting for this amazing dinner you've promised us all. Which, thank God, because if we had room service or take-out one more night..."
"Hey!" Jean-Paul said with a laugh. "Don't I take care of you when we're back at school?"
Simon couldn't help himself, leaning in to Jean-Paul's ear with a smirk. "Show off."
"Only for the unwashed masses," Jean-Paul murmured underbreath. He'd anointed himself with some scent before they'd left: something that vaguely smelled of pine, but sharper, more aggressive. One finger toyed with the rim of his glass. "Around you, it's something else entirely. But I think I'm telling you what you well know by now."
Simon tried hard not to inhale visibly, because God, Jean-Paul did smell good, and he finally forced himself to lean away, going back to his drink. "Yes. I do. What are you going to do with your time now? I hope you're planning on getting your grades up."
Jean-Paul's gaze followed his every move, saying plainly that he'd have rathered Simon stay. "Grades are on the list of things to catch up with. Also my sister...maybe get to know some of the new faces. And I have some side projects I've been working on."
An eyebrow arched up. "Side projects?"
Jean-Paul lowered his voice and stepped away from the bar. "I've been teaching myself to navigate by the stars. Just in case."
Simon followed, blinking, even as he lowered his voice in return. "You don't want to rely on technology?"
"If we run and I have to choose between grabbing you or grabbing my phone, you win every time."
His roommate shot him a look, but nodded slightly in understanding. "It's a good goal, anyway."
"Just a little insurance." The look that Jean-Paul gave him was a warm promise...even if none of this lasted, he would look out for him. "Should we go sit down? They'll be bringing the food soon."
Simon gave a short nod, falling into step beside him. "I've got a few side projects of my own, actually."
"Oh, yes? Can we talk about them here?"
"Just helping out a couple of students with existing conditions," Simon answered cryptically. "I'd rather not break their confidence, but in general, I hope to be able to do some good with what I've been given. I'm not Josh, but we can at least work together to tackle certain issues."
"Look at you, all grown up and tolerating Foley." Jean-Paul lead the way back and seated himself at the head of the table. "Whatever you're working on, though, I know you'll succeed. You don't know how to do anything else."
Simon hesitated a beat as he eyed the chairs, trying to decide if he should sit near to Jean-Paul or not.
Jean-Paul pretended not to notice his dilemma, seating himself and removing his phone from his pocket in a leisurely gesture. A moment later, Simon's phone buzzed notice of a text.
You're allowed to sit next to your friends.
Simon blinked at the buzz in his pocket and pulled out his phone, unable to keep a small tick of a smile off of his lips when he read the message, With a wry smirk, he replied, while at the same time sliding into the seat next to Jean-Paul's.
No one likes a smart-ass.
Experience begs to differ.
At a Look from Raymonde, Jean-Paul rolled his eyes and put his phone away. Table manners, after all. He turned back to Simon.
"I mean it. You'll do fine."
Simon did the same, bowing his head slightly to Raymonde in apology. "Thanks," he aimed at Jean-Paul. "Especially since at least one life hangs in the balance. I can't screw this up."
Jean-Paul's eyebrows rose.
"No pressure, right?"
"As if there never was?" Simon asked with a small smile. His whole life was about pressure, but he managed to thrive in it.
Jean-Paul laughed fondly. Of course. He and Simon weren't at all different in that respect -- point them at a challenge, and the general inclination was to tackle it with both hands. He had a feeling that was one reason why they got on so well, even when they were driving each other crazy.
"Silly me, right?"
"Well," Simon shot back at him, smart, eyes sparking with superiority. "That's nothing new, either."
The appetizer and dinner orders had been put in, and since they had the entire lounge to themselves, the students and their chaperones were taking the opportunity to move around and mingle. Jean-Paul was taking the chance to catch up with some of the students he'd hardly seen outside of class since before Christmas, but took a breather to go get a drink from the bar (which wasn't serving liquor to anyone who looked so much a whiff under 21, but there still plenty of non-alcoholic options).
Simon eased up next to him at the bar, leaning his arms on the surface as he ordered a coke with lime, then glanced aside at his roommate with a smile. Sure, he'd been keeping subtle tabs on Jean-Paul all evening. And maybe he'd wanted to have been closer to him than they had been. The fear of a waiter or server getting ideas or deciding to play amateur paparazzi had deterred him, though. "Hey. Looks like everyone is having a good time."
Jean-Paul flashed him a wicked grin as his Virgin Mary arrived. "So how many people did you expect me to insult before they took orders for appetizers?"
Simon rolled his eyes. "None. These are your friends. I know you better than to think you'd make a spectacle here."
"You are going to wreck my bad-boy image, Simon." Jean-Paul sipped his drink and resisted the urge to take Simon's hand. "Having fun?"
"You do a good enough job breaking your image on your own," Simon grinned, but glanced over his shoulder at the others. "It's nice, actually, to get out of the mansion with everyone. Well, not everyone, but a few people. I'm not really a party kind of guy, but it's nice to see them smiling."
"We could all use a break in routine. Even the enjoyable, exhausting ones, non?"
Simon blinked at him in confusion.
"The sports meets," Jean-Paul clarified. "I'll miss the time away--" With you. "--but I imagine we could both use the rest."
Oh. Simon's lips twitched at that, in something that was almost a smile before he schooled it away. "I could definitely use more time with my research. And, you know, maybe a week in bed." Near you.
"And I imagine I'll still have some trips to make, depending on what kind of endorsement deals I get lined up, if any. So maybe I can drag you along for company or something."
Something shifted in Simon's gaze; mostly amusement. "More photo-shoots? Why would you need me?"
"To keep from getting bored, of course. We all know I'm a brat. Or maybe your experiment includes the emotional side-effects as well as the physical."
They both knew that Simon's 'experiment' was mostly a cover, but the other teen rolled his shoulders thoughtfully. "I suppose it would at least round out my thesis and show a certain symmetry to the work."
Jean-Paul smiled down at the bartop. "You thought of everything, I see."
"I'm thinking on my feet here," Simon answered dryly. "It's not as if you're giving me a choice. You'll drag me with you whether I have a reason for it or not, just because you can." And because Simon would never refuse him.
"I'm thinking entirely of you," Jean-Paul protested. "My...roommate needs a break once in a while, and I know he'll worry about me if I'm gone for too long."
Which was entirely true. "Your roommate has been away from the school more than he's been at it lately," Simon pointed out with a smile that made it all too clear that the argument was moot. He'd follow Jean-Paul wherever he liked.
"God, you make it hard to be around you some days." Mostly because the urge to grab Simon by the lapels and haul him into a private room got stronger by the day. "What have you been up to?"
"Generally? Or tonight?" Simon asked dryly. "Mostly I've been drinking soda and waiting for this amazing dinner you've promised us all. Which, thank God, because if we had room service or take-out one more night..."
"Hey!" Jean-Paul said with a laugh. "Don't I take care of you when we're back at school?"
Simon couldn't help himself, leaning in to Jean-Paul's ear with a smirk. "Show off."
"Only for the unwashed masses," Jean-Paul murmured underbreath. He'd anointed himself with some scent before they'd left: something that vaguely smelled of pine, but sharper, more aggressive. One finger toyed with the rim of his glass. "Around you, it's something else entirely. But I think I'm telling you what you well know by now."
Simon tried hard not to inhale visibly, because God, Jean-Paul did smell good, and he finally forced himself to lean away, going back to his drink. "Yes. I do. What are you going to do with your time now? I hope you're planning on getting your grades up."
Jean-Paul's gaze followed his every move, saying plainly that he'd have rathered Simon stay. "Grades are on the list of things to catch up with. Also my sister...maybe get to know some of the new faces. And I have some side projects I've been working on."
An eyebrow arched up. "Side projects?"
Jean-Paul lowered his voice and stepped away from the bar. "I've been teaching myself to navigate by the stars. Just in case."
Simon followed, blinking, even as he lowered his voice in return. "You don't want to rely on technology?"
"If we run and I have to choose between grabbing you or grabbing my phone, you win every time."
His roommate shot him a look, but nodded slightly in understanding. "It's a good goal, anyway."
"Just a little insurance." The look that Jean-Paul gave him was a warm promise...even if none of this lasted, he would look out for him. "Should we go sit down? They'll be bringing the food soon."
Simon gave a short nod, falling into step beside him. "I've got a few side projects of my own, actually."
"Oh, yes? Can we talk about them here?"
"Just helping out a couple of students with existing conditions," Simon answered cryptically. "I'd rather not break their confidence, but in general, I hope to be able to do some good with what I've been given. I'm not Josh, but we can at least work together to tackle certain issues."
"Look at you, all grown up and tolerating Foley." Jean-Paul lead the way back and seated himself at the head of the table. "Whatever you're working on, though, I know you'll succeed. You don't know how to do anything else."
Simon hesitated a beat as he eyed the chairs, trying to decide if he should sit near to Jean-Paul or not.
Jean-Paul pretended not to notice his dilemma, seating himself and removing his phone from his pocket in a leisurely gesture. A moment later, Simon's phone buzzed notice of a text.
You're allowed to sit next to your friends.
Simon blinked at the buzz in his pocket and pulled out his phone, unable to keep a small tick of a smile off of his lips when he read the message, With a wry smirk, he replied, while at the same time sliding into the seat next to Jean-Paul's.
No one likes a smart-ass.
Experience begs to differ.
At a Look from Raymonde, Jean-Paul rolled his eyes and put his phone away. Table manners, after all. He turned back to Simon.
"I mean it. You'll do fine."
Simon did the same, bowing his head slightly to Raymonde in apology. "Thanks," he aimed at Jean-Paul. "Especially since at least one life hangs in the balance. I can't screw this up."
Jean-Paul's eyebrows rose.
"No pressure, right?"
"As if there never was?" Simon asked with a small smile. His whole life was about pressure, but he managed to thrive in it.
Jean-Paul laughed fondly. Of course. He and Simon weren't at all different in that respect -- point them at a challenge, and the general inclination was to tackle it with both hands. He had a feeling that was one reason why they got on so well, even when they were driving each other crazy.
"Silly me, right?"
"Well," Simon shot back at him, smart, eyes sparking with superiority. "That's nothing new, either."
