to Berlin with love.

[runningred]

 From here

Jay opens the door into a quiet back alley that could belong to any city - the lingering scent of garbage and the miss-matched colours where graffiti has been washed off or painted over. In the mid-afternoon chill of early spring, he takes Emcee's hand and leads him out into the street, pocketing the key. The sunlight is thin but warm and picks out the green swell of buds in the branches. The tree lined avenue is quiet this time of day. Not lacking in people but without rush, a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Comments

[runningred]

"Cute." Jay comments, smiling at him as he comes over to wrap an arm around Emcee's waist. "And they won't look out of place with any of your outfits."

He reaches around Emcee to finger a pair of butter-smooth black leather driving gloves.

A tall, dark haired girl comes in, rattling off an order of costumes in fluid if slightly accented German. She leans on the counter, scanning the room as she waits for her order to be boxed. She catches Emcee's eye and smiles. It's a sweetly devilish smile. The sort that can only lead to mischief.

[i_am_your_host]

"True. I think I'd wear them with the leather kilt," he says, looking up at him and batting his eyelashes. "If you buy me a pair I'll pay you back."

Mosy likely with...services, rather than money.

As he continues to browse, he of course notices the young woman who comes in. He overhears some of her order of costumes and wonders why she would need them, but then the smile she gives him might explain it. Returning the smile, he casually browses closer.

"Planning a party?" he asks her, his own Berliner accent prominent.

[runningred]

"Now, how can I turn down an offer like that." Jay chuckles.

She grins back warmly. "Darling, it's Christopher Street Day." She struts over to Emcee on stiletto heels longer than most men's dicks. "Everyone's planning a party." She reached out to run her fingers over the gloves Emcee's holding. "But all the best parties are by invitation only."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee glances down at her shoes (because those shoes absolutely must receive appreciation) then looks back up at her face, head cocked with a crooked smile.

"And who do I have to know to get an invitation?"

[runningred]

"Well me." She grins predatorily, pressing two fingers to the underside of his chin to make him look up. "Obviously." She steps into his personal space, right up close. "Bring that boy toy of yours and I might just invite you to our little get together."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee is certainly not against hot strangers getting into his personal space.

"Oh, that won't be a problem. He comes with me all the time."

There was a kommen pun in there of course.

[runningred]

Jay tries not to snigger. His German isn't perfect but he gets the joke as much from Emcee's tone.

The young lady, on the other hand, makes a hungry sound in the back of her throat. She offers Emcee her hand. "I'm Alice. And I very much hope you two aren't exclusive."

[i_am_your_host]

He takes her hand, and as is his idiosyncratic flair, he brings it to his lips for a quick, light kiss as he holds her gaze.

"Delighted to meet you, Alice. Call me Emcee; this is Jay. And you have nothing to worry about in that regard -- both of us like to share and share alike."

[runningred]

"Emcee." She purrs, turning her hand to dragging a painted nail over his lower lip.

She runs a hand over Emcee's waist, slipping something into the waistband of his pants. "Tonight. Midnight. Bring him, or lose him. Either way, I want you there."

[i_am_your_host]

His lips twist in a smirk.

"Then you shall have us."

And everything that it implies.

[runningred]

She hums a hungry tone and turns to collect her costumes. "I'll see you tonight."

Jay comes over, chuckling as they both watch her walk away on those incredible heels and very tight skirt. "You never fail to make friends, do you?"

[i_am_your_host]

"They just keep falling into my lap," he says with a grin, as he looks at the address Alice gave him.

"Somehow I don't think it would wise to disappoint her."

[runningred]

"No, I think you might be right. She doesn't seem like the type to take disappointment well." Jay chuckles, taking the fingerless gloves from Emcee and heading to the counter.

[i_am_your_host]

The man at the counter is tall, blue-eyed, and svelte with lanky blond hair in bangs that almost mirrors Emcee's. He's wearing a silver lamé tank top and black leather trousers. He's basically a poster boy for Berlin pride.

"Did you find everything you want?" he asks in an endearingly innocent tone that just manages to sound totally hot at the same time.

Emcee peers around Jay's shoulder at the man. Maybe a touch too eager.

"I think I just did," he replies.

[runningred]

The blonde shoots him a smile, just as endearingly innocent. "If there's anything I can help you with, I'd be very glad to."

Jay chuckles and sets out of the way.

[i_am_your_host]

But Emcee pulls Jay back.

"Oh, I can think of a few things," Emcee chuckles, waving them along to finish the transaction.

"Would you like a bag?"

"No, I'll wear the gloves. But just--" Emcee grabs a store business card and slides it over to him. "--your name and number will do."

The young man looks as if he gets this sort of thing every day, but there's something in his smile as he glances from Jay to Emcee that says he might actually like to follow through. So he writes his name and number on the card, and hands it back to him along with the gloves.

"Thank you, darling. We'll see you around."

Emcee hooks his hand into Jay's arm and nearly drags him out of the store.

"Oh my god," he huffs once outside, fanning himself with the gloves. "Few people can fluster me than a boy who looks like that."

[runningred]

Jay chuckles and lets Emcee have his little moment.

He chuckles as they head outside. "What? Blonde, blue eyes and broad shouldered. Yeah. I have now idea where that might come from."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee snorts a laugh, squeezing his arm.

"Me neither, darling, it's such a mystery to me," he says wryly.

"Now, where were we before I got distracted by the sex toys? --Ah, yes."

Though the street has changed significantly, he still clings to some hope that a spark of recognition will be enough. He's actually afraid that he won't recognize where the Kit Kat Klub was at all, and that they'll walk right past it without even knowing it.

There's a bar up ahead with outdoor seating. Old-fashioned cabaret-style chairs and little round tables. There's no marquee or lights, but the black awning declares in an art deco font: Die Katze und Maus. The Cat and Mouse.

Emcee can't help the soft gasp that escapes him.

[runningred]

Jay doesn't get the connection, not knowing Eric's pet name for Emcee. But he knows Emcee must have found it, found home.

He moves to wrap his arms around Emcee from behind, resting his head on Emcee's shoulder. He doesn't push him, he knows this must be hard.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee clasps his hands over Jay's, for a moment rooted to the spot.

Yes, it's home. The building itself hasn't changed, still old-world blocky with vaguely gothic moulding that's the only visual clue of what this place was.

They're standing by the mouth of an alley. Emcee looks up, following the fire escapes to the sixth floor, the topmost storey, and he points to the dark window at the corner.

"That's my flat," he says with a hollow chuckle. "The air that wafts up there in the middle of summer is delightful."

[runningred]

Jay gives him a little squeeze. "We could go up, if you like? Ask whoever's there now if we can have a look around."

[i_am_your_host]

"God, no, that would be strange," he snorts. "I'll probably just end up being jealous of their modern living conditions. They might even have their own bathroom."

He takes a breath and pats his arm.

"Lets just see how the bar is doing. I'm-- ready. I think."

[runningred]

"Yeah, but think of the space they would have lost putting it in." Jay tries to joke, keeping him close till he's ready.

He nods and kisses Emcee's cheek. "I'm right here with you." He assures softly, before stepping forward to open the door.

[i_am_your_host]

He smirks. "They probably had to knock a wall down...into the next door flat."

It really was a tiny apartment.

Stepping toward the open door, he runs a hand over the back of one of the chairs. Is it a relic or a reproduction? It seems as if that question can be applied to a lot of things once they're inside.

"Well, fuck, they've nearly gutted it," Emcee mutters.

Everything is done in gray and black, with minimalist seating -- block-shaped ottomans and love seats, leather upholstered booths, a scattering of clustered cabaret tables and chairs. Emcee goes to the bar, which is at least still as he knows it. He looks up at the mezzanine, and instead of open rails, the upstairs area seems to have been converted into private party rooms.

"The stage."

Emcee makes his way through the mostly empty room (for at least this time of day).

"They've ripped up the floorboards and cut it in half. I liked those old floorboards. They made you feel like you were...well, on a fucking stage."

[runningred]

Jay stays close, letting Emcee vent, letting him cope. "Yeah, can't say it's my kind of place. Too... soulless."