Something In The Water, Part II

[mattbarradell]

The journey to the club was, well, exhuasting. Paul lived only a couple of blocks or so away, he picked his new flat intentionally close, always the scene queen, but it took us over an hour to get to the door! Considering I was ready at 8 it was 10:15 by the time we got to the club and I hadn't even had a proper drink yet.

Paul was getting more attention than I've ever seen. And from all types! He'd had compliments and flirtatious looks from bears, twinks, alternatives, chubs, geeks, other queens, muscle marys, pretty much every breed of gay man you could think of.

Paul however didn't bite once. He was enjoying the attention, boy was he, his feminine giggle was pealing about the neighbourhood almost constantly. He took a couple of numbers but immediately pulled a face at me afterwards to say, nah, not gonna ring him. And one of the guys was definately his type!

"Seriously mate, what is going on?!" I demanded more than once. He kept shrugging and just repeating his giggle. To be fair though he didn't ever have much of a chance to answer because as soon as one guy left another would wink at him or approach.

When we finally got to the door where our arch nemesis was on duty I was exhausted from it all. And oddly jealous, not of him getting attention but that I wasn't getting his!

Bea Arthur was on the door. Not THE Bea Arthur of course but a drag queen who every time we see her has to make some kind of nasty comment. I had seen him once out of drag, in the park with his wife playing with his kids. Ever since then he'd been especially unpleasant. Not tonight though apparently. Tonight he was all smiles and compliments, at least for Paul. I got off lightly with a rudimentary sneer.

"Oh sweetie," the husky straight man's voice purred "You are rocking that look tonight." Paul just smiled back.

"You can get in free tonight hon. Go on with you. I wanna watch that fabulous ass disappear into the club. Yum!" He slapped Paul on the ass making him jump up.

I followed in sheepishly. "Ah, no love. You pay." The tone was flat. Unforgiving.

I went to reply but Paul beat me to it. "Oh Bea you know he's with me. Can't you let him in free too?" Paul looked up at the statuesque man in a dress and grinned foolishly. He was adorable... what no. Shut up!

"For you sweetie. But only cause I now get to watch you go in again." Bea fluttered her exaggereated eyelashes at him and then glowered at me. I slipped in behind Paul.

"I don't get it. Seriously mate it's starting to annoy me now. Something is going on and I'm not going in any further." A bear of a man flounced up to us. "Fuck off!" and then flounced away dejected. "Until you tell me what's going on."

"Oh fine spoilsport!" Paul was still giddy. "I tried it and it seems to have an unexpected side effect."

"Tried what?" I shouted over the music. Lady Gaga be damned tonight I wanted to know.

"The test from earlier I showed you. I mean I think I overdid it a bit and it does wear off after a while but it works... kind of." Paul was looking around nervously now. The situation he had set up to test this theory out on was dawning on him. The setting was hardly ideal.

"Oh my god Paul! What have you done!?" I grabbed his arms and looked him squarely in the eyes. Then it dawned on me too. Potion, for want of a better word, that seems to make you incredible attractive to men and we're in the busiest gay bar in town on one of it's busiest nights...

"Hi." A cute little twink, maybe 5'4 in cuban heels stood looking up at Paul trying to be coy but coming across as anything but. "Is this your boyfriend?"

Paul in a panic at the realisation just blurted out the one thing that could save us. "God yes! Yes it is! I'm all his and he don't share. Sorry" He pulled me away to a booth and we hid until the dejected twink was out of sight.

"Shit shit shit. I didn't think this through! I'm sorry Travis." Paul looked at his forearms and plucked at the little bit of hair there, a habit he had when he was caught out or in trouble.

I meanwhile was in a mental daze. He said I was his boyfriend and my chest was bursting with exhilaration and pride. Fuck being friends, I was his boyfriend. I just wanted to kiss him there and then.

No! It's the potion! It's not real! It's still Paul and he needs my help. Fuck he's hot though.

"Travis!" Paul shouted bringing me out of it. For the moment.

"We need to go. Now!" I grabbed his hand and dragged him out the exit, bursting past Bea Arthur, sending her flying into the door. His normal voice returned as he threw expletives at me. We practically ran back to Paul's. And I hate to admit it I was struggling to keep up with him. I dragged him out the bar but he dragged me the rest of the way.

After dodging at least six man shaped obstacles we were finally back at Paul's and I was panting like a dog in car during a heat wave! Paul on the otherhand was dry as a bone and breathing steadily.

"Fuck me that was scary. Travis I am so so sorry I didn't realise it would be so... obvious. At the gym I got looks but nothing more. What made them all go a bit man mad! Moreso than I usually get!" Paul went to the fridge and pulled out some cokes for us. He topped his up with an extra large measure of apple flavoured vodka.

"I don't know Paul, maybe because at the gym they're there to work out, in a bar they're there to pull!?" I was angry now. How stupid could you get.

We sat like that, me catching my breath and him contemplating what to do for the next 10 minutes in silence.

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Paul finished his coke and stood up. "I gotta pee." I could tell he was ashamed of his behaviour. And genuinely sorry we'd had to go through all that. I curbed my anger a little. And thankfully it seemed the effects were starting to wear off. Me at least.

"Look Paul. I get it. You went all Louis Pasteur on it. Brave but stupid. Promise me you won't do this again." There was no answer from the bathroom.

"Paul?" Nothing.

"Paul?!" Still nothing.

I walked to the door, my heart pounding. Please god don't let him have hurt himself with that stuff. Please be ok.

Pushing the door ajar. "Paul?"

Stood in front of the mirror with his shirt off stood my best friend. He was flexing his muscles experimentally totally in a world of his own.

"What are you doing?" I stared at his thin frail torso confused.

"Apparently the muscle building doesn't work. I was trying to see if I had put any muscle on." Paul was down right depressed now. I love him but he could switch moods instantly.

"Mate, surely it'd take longer than a day to work." I was now scanning his body for signs of improvement. He seemed to be the same old Paul to me.

"I know but I was hoping. You know that there would be a silver lining or something." Here it comes... wait for it... and there it is. Paul was one of those guys completely fine with crying in front of you. He wept a little and stood there his frail arms wrapped around his chest. They were joined a moment later by my arms. I hugged him, my chin in the crook of his neck.

"Shhh... it's ok Paulie, come on." I lead him to his bedroom. He shucked off his trousers and socks and climbed in.

"Get in." He pleaded looking up at me. I thought about and did as he asked. "No funny business though" he chided playfully. Spooning with him we fell asleep, exhausted from our little adventure.

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I woke the next morning to the glow of the sunrise through his thin curtains and Paul's voiced carrying through the flat.

"Holy mother of God!!!!"

[2bored]

Great work! I love how Paul's all fem. I look forward to more.