Time Warp: Bleecker Street (Josh)

[Dr. Sean Neville]

1979.


As a formerly straight-identified young man, Sean had never given much consideration into the “gay scene,” in New York City. Everything he knew, he had learned from Greg, since the blond went out frequently, and Sean’s motto was “straight but not narrow.”

That minimal exposure failed to make him an expert.

Dating Josh also failed to make him an expert. Despite the fact that Josh had been aware of his homosexuality since middle school, the younger boy had virtually no experience or knowledge of the City’s gay culture. Sean was Josh’s first boyfriend, and so they were learning together. Or taking whatever tips that Greg felt like offering to them.

Thus far, their discoveries had proved pleasant. They’d even gone to a gay club once on Greg’s recommendation. Josh had been a little self-conscious the first time, since he had never been to any type of club before. But they had enjoyed themselves, and it had been nice to hold hands without fear of comment or reprisal from closed-minded people.

It had been Josh’s idea to go again. The younger boy had also wanted to dress up, to fit in better with the other gay people their age. Like the guys with whom Greg often flirted.

So he’d asked to borrow one of Sean’s handkerchiefs to use as decoration.

The telepath had readily agreed, as he was willing to accommodate his boyfriend in anything reasonable. He didn’t have that many handkerchiefs, certainly not that many colorful ones. Still, he had given his boyfriend his most colorful one – a bright, light blue – that Josh had promptly stuck in his right pocket, which was where all of the guys with whom Greg flirted wore their handkerchiefs.

Then they had taken the subway over to where the club was, only to find that it was closed pending fumigation.

That put a damper on their plans.

Walking down the sidewalk, careful not to actually hold hands since it wasn’t quite a safe space, they scoured for another suitable club.

Then they found one with a rainbow flag decal in the window. The Vault.

“What do you think?” Two someone older men wearing leather had just walked inside, which confirmed that it was gay-friendly. Albeit an unfamiliar club.

[Joshua Bernstein]

Josh was excited to be out with Sean. Spending time with his boyfriend was always fun, but it was even better when they didn't have to hide the true extent of their relationship.

Being in the presence of other gay men, men who understood and wouldn't judge, was so reassuring. It was also awkward; the gay community had its own culture, full of shared jokes and secrets and fashion. Josh knew he stuck out like a tourist,and that bothered him. He didn't enjoy sticking out unless he was trying to make a point. With the gay culture all he wanted was to belong and to be accepted.

To belong to a group required dressing appropriately. Dressing appropriately meant wearing handkerchiefs in the back right pocket. At least it didn't matter whether the kerchief was colored or patterned; he didn't know how easy it would have been to buy one if the fashion had been too rigid. Instead, he could easily borrow one from Sean.

Maybe later he could buy his own.

Striking out at the first club was a disappointment, but the discovery of a second club lifted his mood again.

"We should give it a try!" He answered, also noting the sticker and the men entering. He didn't want to come all this way and to dress up only to return to hiding without even a small taste of freedom.

"The more options the better, right?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Josh’s enthusiasm was all that Sean required to agree to go inside. He felt similarly to his boyfriend, in that he wanted to spend the evening in public, able to demonstrate his affection for the younger boy, the way that every heterosexual couple was allowed to do.

Besides, it wasn’t as though they were attached to that other club. They had gone once and had enjoyed it, but they weren’t regulars. Another club would probably offer them exactly the same experience while doubling their options for later.

“Right.”

Since they were directly outside an obviously friendly club, the telepath reached for Josh’s hand before he walked up to the door. Opening it with his other hand, he ushered his boyfriend inside, before joining him.

It was a bit darker than the other club, and the music wasn’t as peppy. It was a little more...jazzy, although Sean didn’t recognize the song at all.

Still, there was a bar near the door that stretched along the wall, and lots of tables around the main area. The entire floor was overrun by men, just men, of different ages – many of whom were in leather.

That wasn’t that odd. It was fashionable generally, and the telepath had noticed more of a focus on that among gay men.

So far, so good.

“What would you like to drink?” He asked his boyfriend. Sean had plenty of money in his wallet to cover drinks for the night, and as long as Josh didn’t order anything too strong, he would be fine.

[Joshua Bernstein]

Josh also observed the abundance of leather, and made a mental note to buy leather along with some handkerchiefs, for the next time they decided to come. There had been less leather at the other club, but maybe this was a cutting edge trend from Europe or something.

He wished he knew how people learned these things; it would be easier if homosexuality included innate knowledge of local gay cultures. Then he would know how to dress without sticking out while he learned.

Maybe he should ask Greg.

"Oh! Ahh...what are the options?" He asked, squinting in the direction of the bar. "Do they have that beer that Greg always gets?"

His first experience drinking had been rough, but he had convinced himself that he enjoyed it, and so he had practiced holding his liquor until. He persevered.

"What are you having?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Since Sean had never been to this club before, he couldn’t say with any sort of authority what the drink options were. However, assuming that the club was like most other clubs, there would be an array of different types of liquors. Good liquor was how clubs made money when they didn’t have cover charges, which was how most clubs had to operate.

“We can ask,” he said to his boyfriend. That was how to find out what beers different establishments served. He had to imagine they had multiple brands, and Yuengling was made in America which was a plus for a lot of small businesses.

For himself, the telepath hadn’t decided what he wanted to have. While he drank beer, he didn’t enjoy it as much as Greg did. At the same time, Sean didn’t want to wave hard liquor around when he wouldn’t let Josh drink the same. He stood by his decision there; the younger boy hadn’t developed the drinking skills to experiment with hard liquor while they were out yet.

But it would be cruel to drink too much.

“I’m not sure. If I have a real drink, I’ll probably only have one.”

Otherwise, there might be wine. He rather enjoyed wine, even though it wasn’t a proper club drink.

[Joshua Bernstein]

"Okay, let's as."

Josh didn't wait for Seas response before striding toward the bar attempting a look of confidence. Maybe he wasn't clad in leather, but he was here with his boyfriend and so he belonged as well as an of the other patrons.

He leaned against the bar as he tried to flag down the bartender, but he was incapable of keeping his attention solely on that task. Instead he scoured the room, taking in as much as he could of this delightful safe space.

He thought he recognized one of the men off in the shadows as his calculus professor, but it was difficul to tell given the distance and the lighting.

He looked preoccupied with flirting, anyway.

Unfortunately so did the bartender. Josh wished he knew how to get his attention without yelling. That might have been appropriate in some venues, but the atmosphere in the club discouraged that.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean watched for a few moments as his boyfriend tried to get the bartender’s attention, to no avail. It was unfortunate, since they wanted to order their drinks, and the telepath was a good tipper. He would make it worth the bartender’s time, if the man would simply turn his attention to them instead of flirting off in the corner.

Finally, he stepped up beside his boyfriend and reached into his pocket. Pulling a couple of singles out of his wallet, he set them down on the surface of the bar, hoping to get the man’s attention.

To no avail.

Sean didn’t want to use his telepathy to get the man’s attention, since not everyone was accepting of meta-humans. Even people who suffered societal prejudice were not always enlightened when it came to use of meta-human powers, particularly psychic abilities.

“This might be a while,” he warned Josh, turning to face his boyfriend again. “Do you want to claim a table while I wait? I’ll be able to find you when I get the drinks.”

Additionally, Sean would be able to use his telepathy to contact Josh, in case they didn’t serve Yuengling.

It was better than having them both stand there, waiting indefinitely.

[Joshua Bernstein]

Josh hoped that sean was wrong and the bartender would notice them soon, because waiting at a table without Sean wasn't precisely what he'd had in mind when suggesting they go out. Still, perhaps it wouldn't be a total loss; he could observe other people and earn how to better fit in.

And so he nodded. "Sure! If it takes too long don't worry about it, though, if rather have your company."

Finding a table proved more difficult than he'd anticipated. There were lots of tables, but many were already occupied. He finally found one in the back, near the restrooms, and pulled out a seat to wait.

Hmm, that looked like someone he'd seen with Greg a few times. They must not have worked out, since he was hanging all over someone else. That group over there looked his day's age, but his dad would never have dressed like that. Were those two on a date? They looked to be in their thirties, so they'd probably been together for years. That mist Venice; he wondered what he and Sean would be like then. Maybe they wouldn't have to go to clubs or hide for dates anymore...

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean brushed his fingers against Josh’s, before his boyfriend left, and he returned his attention to the bar. Glancing down at his watch, he decided to give this another few minutes before doing something a bit more ostentatious. Nothing that would get him in trouble, but he would slide over to the other side of the bar to speak to the man directly.

All he wanted to do was give the bartender money in exchange for drinks. Then he wanted to spend the rest of the night with his boyfriend, as they had intended to do when they first left the dorms.

A young man in his early twenties (and dressed in a leather jacket and tight black jeans) had seen Josh leave the bar, searching for a table. More importantly, he had caught sight of the handkerchief in his back pocket: right side, light blue. Safe to approach and potentially enticing.

As such, the man followed Josh to the table near the back, approving of the location near the restrooms. That would give them privacy for this, once they had struck up conversation. The club didn’t discourage hooking up, although they did encourage privacy, in case the vice raided.

Offering Josh a confident smile, he asked, “Do you mind if I join you?”

[Joshua Bernstein]

Josh hadn't realized he had a shadowy until he was approached. He didn't consider this the least bit suspicious; he was prone to approaching strangers out of the blue himself. And so he returned the smile, replying with a cheerful, "I don't mind!"

After all, better to spend the time talking than idly waiting for Sean to return. And he might even make a friend! That was always cause for excitement.

"My name's Josh. What's your name?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

The young man was glad to see that Josh was receptive. Just because he was interested generally didn’t necessarily mean that he would be interested in him. He was a regular at this club (and while he wasn’t here every single night, he was here every single weekend), and he tended to have good luck, but it wasn’t a guarantee. Better to know for a fact that he could make inroads.

“I’m Frank,” he introduced himself, before dropping himself graciously into a chair across from the younger man. His backside in a chair, the handkerchiefs that he wore (all in his left pocket: light blue, dark blue, gray, and black) became invisible. “It’s good to meet you, Josh.”

He glanced at the table, taking note that Josh didn’t have anything to drink. That was fine; he was probably just getting straight to the point, rather than thirsty. However, he would offer to buy him something after their conversation was underway in a bit greater depth.

“Is this your first time here?” He inquired, folding his arms across his chest as he affected a relaxed pose. “I haven’t seen you here before,” he explained, as he studied Josh now that he could see his face. He was young, but he assumed he was of age, since he was here. Possibly a college student.

[Joshua Bernstein]

"It is," Josh confirmed with a nod. He felt less like an outsider with someone talking to him; it was a relief that Frank was so friendly. "It's nice to meet you, too!"

Never mind that they'd only just met; he was sure that Frank was very nice. He looked close to Sean and Greg's age, so maybe he would want to hang out with them some time.

The fact that Frank noticed he was new meant he must be a regular and so he added, "do you come here often, then?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Frank nodded in affirmation. “Every Friday and Saturday night.” It was his favorite club in all of the City, not just in Manhattan, and he made sure that his schedule was cleared on the weekends. Except in very rare circumstances: holidays, other obligations, or if he was meeting up with someone for a second or third time. Since he liked to keep it casual, the last wasn’t that common.

“We have a good crowd here,” Frank added, gesturing all around them at the men who were pairing off and talking. In the other rooms, some of the games and displays took place. Depending on how it went with Josh, Frank planned to invite him back there, in case he was open to experimentation. He was young yet, so he might not have spread his wings, but Frank had been surprised before.

Leaning back in his chair, Frank pushed off with his foot – a subtle sign that he was in control. It worked sometimes when he flirted, with men who had submissive tendencies. Maybe Josh would like it.

Then again, his handkerchief was all the advertising that Frank needed to see to know that Josh was at least receptive to the idea. Even if he didn’t take to Frank personally, he didn’t think that he had to beat around the bush. “You’re very handsome,” he remarked. “You must be a good kisser.”

[Joshua Bernstein]

Frank's bluntness came as a shock to Josh, who hadn't realized that he was being flirted with. His first instinct was to glance toward the bar to see if Sean was still there.

"Ahh..." He stammered, feeling heat rush to his face. "Kisser? I...I don't...you would have to ask my boyfriend, he's the only person who would know."

Nobody had asked him anything like this at the last club. Was it because he was sitting by himself? Greg should have warned them not to split up! But given how attached to one another they were perhaps he hadn't thought that necessary.

He felt conflicted, both flattered at the compliments and surprised anyone would flirt with him and guilty because he couldn't reciprocate .

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean had moved down to the other side of the bar and had finally succeeded in catching the bartender’s attention. As such, he had placed their orders and was simply waiting.

In any other context, Frank would have taken that as clear indication that Josh was off-limits. However, they were young gay men in the era of free love. More than that, but The Vault was a kinky club, BDSM-themed and geared solely towards urban gay men. Having a boyfriend didn’t preclude being open to a little bit of action with other men, particularly since Josh was dressed for the part.

As such, Frank came to what he considered a reasonable conclusion: that Josh’s boyfriend was a voyeur. Also, that Josh was young and new to this, perhaps a little naïve as well.

“I’ll be sure to ask him,” Frank replied with a smile. While he had expected privacy, he wouldn’t mind accommodating Josh’s boyfriend, if that was part of their arrangement.

“I hope he tells you that often, because you have a very nice mouth.” From what Frank could see, Josh had full lips for a man, which were enticing. “However, I’m fully prepared to ask for your boyfriend’s permission first.”

It was necessary to show proper respect for preexisting relationship dynamics.