ze desclaimur: again, me no own the lyrics to face down by the red jumpsuit apparatus.

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Laughter erupted from the table in the corner. Rachael looked horrified. Gavin's pale face was bubblegum-pink (adorably so, Chandra thought). Some people sitting nearby were wide-eyed and staring, others pretending to be completely oblivious. Eventually, a comfortable peace settled back into the pizzeria, but unrest continued to buzz like a swarm of gnats over one table. Chandra looked smug, picking a breadstick out of the basket and taking a bite.

Finally, after the ticking of many awkward seconds, Rachael rose unsteadily to her feet. She looked from Chandra (cool and confident) to Gavin (blushing and flustered) and looked as if she wanted to say something. She must have drawn a blank on what to say, and instead returned to her stable, where her friend was still hunched in peels of laughter. Rachael glared at her.

Gavin willed the color in his face to abate, and determinedly turned to Chandra. Their gazes locked, and a silent challenge was sent Gavin's way. Gavin put his barriers up again, eyes doing that not-quite-narrowing thing. He can't believe he'd let his defenses slip. Finally, after tense stretch of silence, Gavin snapped, "If you didn't want her, you could have just turned her down." A beat, and then a pointed, "Without dragging me into it."

Chandra shrugged and chewed on his breadstick.

Gavin shook his head, now more angry than flustered. He studied Chandra's face with guarded silver eyes. What was this boy really after? Was he really interested in Gavin, or just toying with him? Well, two could play at that game. Gavin relaxed somewhat, the tension in his shoulders melting away, and looked suddenly a little forlorn. "If you didn't want her, I would have taken her." Gavin put his chin in his palm, sighing. "But now there's no chance…"

"You're pretty cocky, aren't you?" Chandra dipped his breadstick in the little cup of red sauce. "What makes you think she'd want you?" Gavin noticed Chandra starting to prod at the bait. He looked thoughtfully at his breadstick, and then added briskly, "And why would you want that harlequin, anyway?"

"Why wouldn't you want her?" Gavin's eyes flicked to the table in the corner, then back to Chandra. "Did you see her—"

"Hideously fake smile? Garish make-up? Horrible fashion sense? Lack of common sense?" Chandra still held his breadstick, the warm sauce on the end cooling quickly.

"Did you see her body? Come on now, you can't tell me she wasn't hot."

The bait was nibbled. "I can, and I will."

Gavin rolled his eyes, reeling the line in a little. "So you weren't attracted to her in the slightest? Not even in the most primal sense?"

"Nope." Another nibble.

"Then what about her friend?" Gavin tried again, sparing Rachael's table a second glance.

Chandra looked too, his expression considering. "Well, she's definitely cuter, but I wouldn't want her either."

"Then who would you want?"

Hook…

Chandra regarded Gavin coolly, finally biting the end of his breadstick. His jaw setting, Gavin waited for the boy to finish.

Line…

When he did, the first word out of his mouth was "You."

And sinker.

"Haven't I made that obvious enough already? Do I have to kiss you again, or something?" Chandra polished off his breadstick and wiped his hands on a napkin.

Gavin pushed out of his chair. "All right," he said briskly. "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you." His tone said otherwise.

"Wait." Chandra grabbed Gavin's wrist as the other started to walk away, and Gavin's lip curled in a snarl. "You're not interested?"

"Now what could have given you that idea?" The sarcasm in Gavin's voice stung.

"Not even a little?" Chandra wheedled, his voice and tiny smile coy.

"Look, I just don't do guys," Gavin said, "in every sense of the word."

"I don't believe you." Chandra rose from his seat. At his full height, he was eye-level with Gavin's chin. "You're far too gorgeous to restrict your availability to the female kind."

"Is that so?" Gavin lifted a skeptical eyebrow.

Chandra's coy grin eased into a smirk. He moved and before Gavin could react, he was kissing the blonde again. Chandra's arms wound demandingly around Gavin's neck, his spine bowing and body arching into the other's. Gavin was nearly thrown off balance at the (what he would consider) sudden attack, but recovered quickly and pushed Chandra away. The look in Chandra's bright brown eyes startled him a little; the look of raw desire and hunger. The boy licked his lips, and just as he tried to lean in for another taste the manager approached them and asked them to leave.

Chandra ferreted around in his pockets and procured a wad of money, pulling out the appropriate amount and dropping it on the table. He winked at the manager and left with a flippant "Thanks for the pizza," but not before grabbing his soda bottle.

Chandra pushed the door open and stepped into a passing breeze, shivering a little. Gavin was right behind him, zipping his sweatshirt back up. He started to walk away in a huff, but changed his mind and rounded angrily at the blonde. "Are you absolutely ins—"

"Meet me tonight," Chandra said, "at The Cage. It's in the downtown, on Thirteenth Street. You can't miss it." And with that, he walked away, putting his headphones back in his ears and starting to sing. "Do you feel like a man, when you push her around? Do you feel better now, as she falls to the ground…"

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