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rsadelleThis is cobbled together from emails I sent about this plot bunny, so it's not quite clear in the bits themselves, but the idea was for Sid to hire an escort. He asks for someone male and knowledgeable about sports, and ends up with Alex.
Here's the problem with the escort story: I have no idea whose idea it should be. Sid's talking about how much easier it would be if he could just take someone with him to events, and someone says something about how he could hire someone, and when Sid is skeptical says, "Remember Jessica?" Sid does, because she was the other guy's date for events for a couple of months, and then the other guy is like, "I didn't really meet her at Starbucks. Well, I did, because we had coffee before she came to things, but she was from a service." Sid is kind of shocked, but after he gets a whole "it's not sleazy/you're not paying for sex" lecture, it makes more sense, except he still hesitates, and then the other guy tells him, "You could ask for a guy." And then when Sid is freaked out about that, he says, "You don't have to come out or anything. Just bring him, say he's a friend, and everyone will know but no one will care and it won't be a big deal."
*
Later in the escort story, someone calls Sid and says, "We're all hanging out at Geno's. You should come over."
When he gets there, Alex is there, hanging out on the couch. (Because of course he and Geno have become friends.)
It makes Sid nervous, both because he hasn't told Geno he hired Alex and also he doesn't want to impose on Alex's free time. Alex, obviously, realizes that this is freaking Sid out, and gets up off the couch to stand close, way too close to Sid. He puts his hands on Sid's hips, and it probably just looks like they're together to everyone else.
"I'm sorry," Sid says. "I didn't-"
"It's okay." Alex slides his thumbs under the edge of Sid's shirt and rubs them over Sid's skin.
"Are you sure?" It'll look weird if Sid leaves, but he can probably come up with some reason to go if Alex doesn't want him there.
Alex kisses him, a light touch of lips. It's the first time he's done that. "Sid, it's fine." He kisses Sid again, and given the way no one's reacting, it probably looks as natural as it feels. "Come on. I'll kick your ass at Mario Kart."
"No you won't."
Sid doesn't reach for Alex the way he wants to, but Alex's thumbs slide over Sid's skin as he moves away.
*
Early in the escort AU, Sid asks Alex if he skates.
Alex quirks a smile at him and says, "I played hockey."
"Really?" Not that Sid thinks he couldn't have, because Alex is big enough for that, and Sid's noticed his reflexes, even after just a few evenings spent together at events.
"Yes." Alex's smile fades. "Blew out my knee." He shrugs. "I can still skate for a while before it hurts, but not enough for hockey."
Sid winces, because losing hockey is his worst nightmare, and says, "I'm sorry."
Alex squeezes his arm and turns them to talk to the couple coming their way.
So later, in December, Sid calls Alex and asks if he wants to come to the Pens Christmas party. "It's a skate party," he explains. "Mostly for the kids, but if you wanted to come skate."
Alex says, "Yes, Sid," and Sid can hear the smile in his voice. They make arrangements for Sid to pick Alex up, and Alex laughs at him when he asks if Alex has skates.
When Sid picks him up for the party, Alex is wearing a sweater with a Christmas tree on it and has a Santa hat on his head and skates in his hands.
Alex clucks at him when he gets in the car. "Sid, where is your Christmas spirit?"
Sid stares at him. "That's the ugliest sweater I've ever seen."
Alex bursts out laughing, and he reaches over to flick the brim of Sid's hat.
Alex is perfectly comfortable on the ice and, unsurprisingly, good with the kids. He gives piggy back rides, holds their hands and swings them in a circle, makes them laugh.
Sid watches him a bit, and Alex comes by a couple of times to put his arm around Sid or make Sid skate with one of the kids.
Sid's at the edge of the rink, working on stickhandling with a couple of the older kids, when Alex swoops in and steals the puck from him. He didn't have a stick earlier, so someone must have loaned him one. Sid suspects Geno.
Sid gives chase. They're not in pads, it's crowded ice, and Sid's thinking about Alex's knee, so it's not quite the same as a real contest, but still, Alex fends him off pretty well and it takes longer than Sid would like until he can get the puck back and send it sailing across the ice to the kids.
Sid's breathing hard and sort of frowning at Alex. Alex just laughs, cups his hand around the back of Sid's head, and kisses him to the sound of Sid's teammates laughing and catcalling.
"When I played hockey," Alex tells him, forehead pressed to his, "I was very, very good."
*
Sid doesn't get drunk much, but sometimes there's wine and he's enjoying it and he ends up unable to walk in a straight line. And with Alex sitting next to him, drawing everyone in, Sid doesn't even need to get up and mingle to make sure he talks to everyone, so he doesn't really notice how much he's had to drink until Flower and Vero start subtly nudging everyone out of the house.
"Oh," Sid says when he stands and has to catch himself on the nearest stable thing - Alex - to keep from falling over. "I'm a little drunk."
"You a lot drunk," Geno says to him, and something in Russian to Alex.
Alex laughs, hooks one arm around Sid, and says something back. Nothing Sid knows, not that he knows much, and by the time he's managed to think that through, Alex has dipped his hand into Sid's pocket and come up with his keys.
"No, no, no," Sid says. "You've been drinking too. We'll call a cab."
Alex shakes his head. "Not for hours. I'm not drunk."
"Is true," Geno says.
"He switched to water when you went for the third glass," Flower says. "That was a long, long time ago."
Sid trusts both Geno and Flower to watch out for him, so he leans into Alex and lets Alex walk him out to the car. He manages to get his own seat belt fastened, and he doesn't even protest when Alex changes the radio station. He can let Alex listen to whatever he wants, and he falls halfway asleep on the drive anyway. He mostly wakes up when Alex stops the car, and he leans into Alex on the walk up to the door. Alex is warm and solid and nice to lean on.
"I can get myself to bed," Sid says when Alex comes inside with him. He looks at the stairs. "I'll just sleep on the couch."
Alex chuckles, a warm sound Sid likes. "I'll help you." He half carries Sid up the stairs - Alex's strength is one of the things Sid likes about him - and into his bedroom.
"Bathroom," Sid says. "I don't need you for that."
Alex lets him go at the door to the bathroom, but is still waiting there when Sid's done.
Sid blinks at him. "You're still here."
Alex ignores the question that is clearly implied in that sentence and hooks his arm around Sid and walks him to the bed.
"Whoa," Sid says when Alex reaches for his belt.
"You want to sleep in your clothes?"
"No."
Alex's nod is unduly smug. He takes Sid's pants off, his socks, his shirt, and his hands keep touching Sid's skin while he does it. Then he props Sid against him - Sid's face is almost squished into his shoulder; he's very solid, and he smells like some kind of cologne Sid likes - and throws Sid's sheets back.
Sid's drunk and dizzy enough that he has to hold onto Alex's shoulders as Alex tips him into bed. He doesn't want to let go.
"I wish I didn't have to pay you," he says. "Then this would all be real and I could ask you to stay." He holds onto Alex's shoulders a little longer than is strictly necessary.
He's pretty sure Alex is smiling a little, and he knows he doesn't imagine Alex's sigh or the way his hand stays on Sid's shoulder after he pulls the blankets up over Sid.
"Go to sleep, Sid." Alex keeps his hand there and sits down on the edge of the bed, making Sid slide a little ways toward him. "I'll stay until then."
Sid shuffles a little closer to Alex, so he can rest his forehead against Alex's thigh. "You smell really good."
"Sleep," Alex says, and he sounds more amused than stern.
*
[And then eventually they figure things out and it's your standard hooker AU happy ending.]
Here's the problem with the escort story: I have no idea whose idea it should be. Sid's talking about how much easier it would be if he could just take someone with him to events, and someone says something about how he could hire someone, and when Sid is skeptical says, "Remember Jessica?" Sid does, because she was the other guy's date for events for a couple of months, and then the other guy is like, "I didn't really meet her at Starbucks. Well, I did, because we had coffee before she came to things, but she was from a service." Sid is kind of shocked, but after he gets a whole "it's not sleazy/you're not paying for sex" lecture, it makes more sense, except he still hesitates, and then the other guy tells him, "You could ask for a guy." And then when Sid is freaked out about that, he says, "You don't have to come out or anything. Just bring him, say he's a friend, and everyone will know but no one will care and it won't be a big deal."
*
Later in the escort story, someone calls Sid and says, "We're all hanging out at Geno's. You should come over."
When he gets there, Alex is there, hanging out on the couch. (Because of course he and Geno have become friends.)
It makes Sid nervous, both because he hasn't told Geno he hired Alex and also he doesn't want to impose on Alex's free time. Alex, obviously, realizes that this is freaking Sid out, and gets up off the couch to stand close, way too close to Sid. He puts his hands on Sid's hips, and it probably just looks like they're together to everyone else.
"I'm sorry," Sid says. "I didn't-"
"It's okay." Alex slides his thumbs under the edge of Sid's shirt and rubs them over Sid's skin.
"Are you sure?" It'll look weird if Sid leaves, but he can probably come up with some reason to go if Alex doesn't want him there.
Alex kisses him, a light touch of lips. It's the first time he's done that. "Sid, it's fine." He kisses Sid again, and given the way no one's reacting, it probably looks as natural as it feels. "Come on. I'll kick your ass at Mario Kart."
"No you won't."
Sid doesn't reach for Alex the way he wants to, but Alex's thumbs slide over Sid's skin as he moves away.
*
Early in the escort AU, Sid asks Alex if he skates.
Alex quirks a smile at him and says, "I played hockey."
"Really?" Not that Sid thinks he couldn't have, because Alex is big enough for that, and Sid's noticed his reflexes, even after just a few evenings spent together at events.
"Yes." Alex's smile fades. "Blew out my knee." He shrugs. "I can still skate for a while before it hurts, but not enough for hockey."
Sid winces, because losing hockey is his worst nightmare, and says, "I'm sorry."
Alex squeezes his arm and turns them to talk to the couple coming their way.
So later, in December, Sid calls Alex and asks if he wants to come to the Pens Christmas party. "It's a skate party," he explains. "Mostly for the kids, but if you wanted to come skate."
Alex says, "Yes, Sid," and Sid can hear the smile in his voice. They make arrangements for Sid to pick Alex up, and Alex laughs at him when he asks if Alex has skates.
When Sid picks him up for the party, Alex is wearing a sweater with a Christmas tree on it and has a Santa hat on his head and skates in his hands.
Alex clucks at him when he gets in the car. "Sid, where is your Christmas spirit?"
Sid stares at him. "That's the ugliest sweater I've ever seen."
Alex bursts out laughing, and he reaches over to flick the brim of Sid's hat.
Alex is perfectly comfortable on the ice and, unsurprisingly, good with the kids. He gives piggy back rides, holds their hands and swings them in a circle, makes them laugh.
Sid watches him a bit, and Alex comes by a couple of times to put his arm around Sid or make Sid skate with one of the kids.
Sid's at the edge of the rink, working on stickhandling with a couple of the older kids, when Alex swoops in and steals the puck from him. He didn't have a stick earlier, so someone must have loaned him one. Sid suspects Geno.
Sid gives chase. They're not in pads, it's crowded ice, and Sid's thinking about Alex's knee, so it's not quite the same as a real contest, but still, Alex fends him off pretty well and it takes longer than Sid would like until he can get the puck back and send it sailing across the ice to the kids.
Sid's breathing hard and sort of frowning at Alex. Alex just laughs, cups his hand around the back of Sid's head, and kisses him to the sound of Sid's teammates laughing and catcalling.
"When I played hockey," Alex tells him, forehead pressed to his, "I was very, very good."
*
Sid doesn't get drunk much, but sometimes there's wine and he's enjoying it and he ends up unable to walk in a straight line. And with Alex sitting next to him, drawing everyone in, Sid doesn't even need to get up and mingle to make sure he talks to everyone, so he doesn't really notice how much he's had to drink until Flower and Vero start subtly nudging everyone out of the house.
"Oh," Sid says when he stands and has to catch himself on the nearest stable thing - Alex - to keep from falling over. "I'm a little drunk."
"You a lot drunk," Geno says to him, and something in Russian to Alex.
Alex laughs, hooks one arm around Sid, and says something back. Nothing Sid knows, not that he knows much, and by the time he's managed to think that through, Alex has dipped his hand into Sid's pocket and come up with his keys.
"No, no, no," Sid says. "You've been drinking too. We'll call a cab."
Alex shakes his head. "Not for hours. I'm not drunk."
"Is true," Geno says.
"He switched to water when you went for the third glass," Flower says. "That was a long, long time ago."
Sid trusts both Geno and Flower to watch out for him, so he leans into Alex and lets Alex walk him out to the car. He manages to get his own seat belt fastened, and he doesn't even protest when Alex changes the radio station. He can let Alex listen to whatever he wants, and he falls halfway asleep on the drive anyway. He mostly wakes up when Alex stops the car, and he leans into Alex on the walk up to the door. Alex is warm and solid and nice to lean on.
"I can get myself to bed," Sid says when Alex comes inside with him. He looks at the stairs. "I'll just sleep on the couch."
Alex chuckles, a warm sound Sid likes. "I'll help you." He half carries Sid up the stairs - Alex's strength is one of the things Sid likes about him - and into his bedroom.
"Bathroom," Sid says. "I don't need you for that."
Alex lets him go at the door to the bathroom, but is still waiting there when Sid's done.
Sid blinks at him. "You're still here."
Alex ignores the question that is clearly implied in that sentence and hooks his arm around Sid and walks him to the bed.
"Whoa," Sid says when Alex reaches for his belt.
"You want to sleep in your clothes?"
"No."
Alex's nod is unduly smug. He takes Sid's pants off, his socks, his shirt, and his hands keep touching Sid's skin while he does it. Then he props Sid against him - Sid's face is almost squished into his shoulder; he's very solid, and he smells like some kind of cologne Sid likes - and throws Sid's sheets back.
Sid's drunk and dizzy enough that he has to hold onto Alex's shoulders as Alex tips him into bed. He doesn't want to let go.
"I wish I didn't have to pay you," he says. "Then this would all be real and I could ask you to stay." He holds onto Alex's shoulders a little longer than is strictly necessary.
He's pretty sure Alex is smiling a little, and he knows he doesn't imagine Alex's sigh or the way his hand stays on Sid's shoulder after he pulls the blankets up over Sid.
"Go to sleep, Sid." Alex keeps his hand there and sits down on the edge of the bed, making Sid slide a little ways toward him. "I'll stay until then."
Sid shuffles a little closer to Alex, so he can rest his forehead against Alex's thigh. "You smell really good."
"Sleep," Alex says, and he sounds more amused than stern.
*
[And then eventually they figure things out and it's your standard hooker AU happy ending.]