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	Jake felt someone else’s gaze upon him, and he turned, spotting one of the pretty boys from before. His name wasn’t Barty. But for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what the boy’s name was! Heat rushed to his face, and for a moment, he felt like his flesh was about to swell and burst. Was that part of the candy? He didn’t like that part - not nearly as much as he liked the bubbles. If he spent the rest of his life with bubbles, he would be very happy. The other boy didn’t seem happy. Maybe he needed some bubbles! Jake saw that Cassie had moved on to look at the wall, so she wouldn’t be upset if he went to the other boy, he decided. 

	He reached into the candy bowl, picking up one at random - a green disc with a bit of a swirl to it - and he offered it out to the boy. He opened his mouth, attempting to offer it to the boy, but instead a swirl of bubbles came out, popping to play a symphony of just one part of his sentence? [COLOR=9A5B8A]”Do?”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”Do?”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”Do?”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”Do?”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”Do?”[/color]

	Nicholas watched with poorly veiled suspicion as the bubbling stranger made its way across their bar and plucked out a piece of candy, though Nicholas couldn't stop himself stepping back defensively as It offered the piece. He started at the popping bubbles, a bit of mischief neither he nor his brother created, and the sound that echoed out of it. He was hesitant to take it - to be under the influence while someone dangerous was in their midst; warning bells were ringing in his head and his fingers twitched with his magic half formed to whisk himself out of sight, but he hesitated. The usual caution, usually dropped as a heavy shawl around his mind, seemed loose and hazy the longer he stared at the face of the only mortal he'd ever bothered caring about. 

	The pause was longer than comfortable, but Nicholas eventually snatched the piece of out Jake's hand and took another step away, bumping into the bar as he stared at the piece of candy for anything that may be wrong with it. 

	Jake tilted his head, confused by the other boy’s reaction. Did he know him? Could he tell him who he was? It didn’t bother him that he couldn’t remember anything, it was all he’d ever known, not knowing. But if he knew this boy, that would have been nice. He was so pretty - and clumsy too, apparently! As he bumped into the bar, fixating on the piece of candy he’d offered, Jake reached out to steady him - to make sure that he didn’t fall. An enormous swell of protectiveness hit him as he came into contact with him. He wanted to reassure him that it was only candy, that it was meant to be eaten, but only one word was carried out by the bubbles: [COLOR=9A5B8A]“It,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]“It,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]“It,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]“It.”[/color]

	[color=5b8a9a]What the hells do you think you're doing? Keep your hands off me.”[/color] Nicholas hissed, smacking away It's hand. Despite the layers between them, two hundred years melted away and it felt just yesterday a handsome, war torn man stumbled into his school house and needed a steadying touch. It'd been humid and hot and the starch in Nicholas's collar had kept the material stiff even as it stuck to his skin. He hooked his finger under his collar now, pulling it away in the same gesture, unconscious and unnoticed, as his mind struggled to handle the conflicting emotions dredged up from the depths of a blackened, shriveled heart. 

	Nicholas slammed back the candy, dry swallowing, and could only hope it took quickly. 

	For a moment, Jake stared at his hand. It had a faint tingling sensation to it. He didn’t like it. His eyebrows furrowed, but as quickly as the feeling had come, it drifted away. The other boy was clearly upset with him. He’d just wanted to help. Was it bad, helping others? It didn’t feel bad. It felt good to reach out, to touch him. It had come as naturally to him as breathing. He found his body inclined forward, wanting to do it again. But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t? He wasn’t sure what was stopping him - if it was himself or something else. 

	[COLOR=9A5B8A]”Sorry,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”Sorry,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”Sorry,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”Sorry,”[/color] his words echoed. [COLOR=9A5B8A]”I,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”I,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”I,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”I.”[/color]

	Nicholas relaxed as the drugs hit him. His fear, paranoia, and, if he's being honest, anger, bled away as a heady, comforting warmth washed through him. Nicholas blinked once, twice, rubbing at his eyes as a faint candlelight surrounded everyone like a halo. He smiled, small and reserved, as he realized for once he was surrounded by safe people, in his bar, in his magic, and honestly, he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The bubbles caught his attention and he poked once, chuckling as a noise came out when it popped. 

	[color=5b8a9a]“So sill…”[/color] Nicholas trailed off as he followed the trail of bubbles, popping them as he did, until they stopped on a pair of lips. He stared at someone beautiful, a memory tickling in the back of his head, but this safe, warm feeling felt better than whatever that was. [color=5b8a9a]“Halò an sin, aingeal. Tha thu fìor bhòidheach. Carson a tha thu cho fada air falbh?”[/color]

	So strange! The other boy was speaking nonsense. Maybe that was what this candy did. Jake couldn’t remember what the one he had taken looked like, but it made sense to him that one thing could do nonsense [i]and[/i] bubbles. And he was smiling now, too! A smile did better suit his face. He almost looked heroic in this light. He tried to apologize, explain that he didn’t understand him, but the bubbles were unhelpful, only the second word of his sentence making it through: [COLOR=9A5B8A]”don’t,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”don’t,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”don’t.”[/color]

	Jake frowned. Maybe the bubbles weren’t fun after all. 

	[color=5b8a9a]“Cha robh sin ann an gin de na drogaichean againn. Ciamar a rinn thu sin? Tha mi airson faicinn dè an blas a th’ orra.”[/color] Nicholas traces his finger down Jake's jaw and behind his ear, working his way down his neck and pulling Jake gently towards him. He let his mouth linger over Jake's, staring in his eyes, before he whispered. [color=5b8a9a]“Seinn dhomhsa, m’ aingeal.”[/color]

	He shuddered, shifting his weight so he could press up ever so slightly more against the boy’s finger. He hadn’t known his body could react like this, something in his chest beating incredibly fast. There was a gentleness to it, too. Was this part of the game? He liked it, if it was. This was his favorite game. And as the boy pulled him forward, Jake was only too happy to oblige - was it normal, this urge to press up against him, until his skin melted away and there was nothing left to separate them? 

	Jake’s eyes drifted down towards the boy’s mouth. It was so close. He opened his lips, hesitating briefly, before a rush of bubbles came out instead of words, flowing into the boy’s mouth, and popping with a small chorus of [COLOR=9A5B8A]”pretty,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”pretty,”[/color] [COLOR=9A5B8A]”pretty.”[/color]

[hider=Translations]Translation: “Hi there, my angel. You're really pretty. Why are you so far away?”

Translation: None of our drugs had that. How did you do that? I kinda wanna see how they taste.

Translation: Sing for me, my angel.[/hider]