Baby, I'm Gonna Ride You

Alexei had never trusted anyone but Fedya with his bike. No one else had ever been permitted to so much as touch it. But Fedya had gone back to Russia to take care of his dying mother, and Alexei was without a mechanic. So, he had no other choice but to simply take it into the nearest shop.

He refused to let anyone touch it until he could personally talk to them, and so now he waited patiently to see who was going to take care of his baby. He didn't ride it often anymore, for it was getting old and he worried. Fedya had to tune it up more and more often.

Alexei sighed, tapping his fingers on the chair in the waiting room.

A stout, hairy man with a receding hairline waved him into the garage.

"So what was it exactly you needed to talk to one of the boys for?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I just have to make sure I can trust him with my bike," he replied, smiling nervously. Alexei fiddled with his hair. "It won't take long, I promise."

He shrugged and turned his gaze to a particularly large man checking under a car's hood.

"Beau! Get your ass over here!"

Beau ineffectively wiped at the grease and grime on his face and hands with a rag and hurried over, hanging his head slightly.

"Yeah, boss?" His eyes were glued to the floor, and he specifically avoided even glancing at Alexei.

"This guy wants to talk to you about his bike."

Alexei smiled more warmly at the younger man. He was rather cute, beneath the dirt and grime.

"Hello, I'm Alexei, you're the one whose going to be working on my bike? Well, I just wanted to know how much experience you have, because if anything happened to my baby, I'd have to kill you." He laughed, but it did not sound like a joke.

"Been here for a couple years," he mumbled. "Fix my own bike all the time...I'll fix yours just fine."

"Oh...well, I suppose I'll have to trust you," he replied. "But only because you're so cute."

He laughed softly. "Well...thank you for fixing her up for me, Beau. I'll see you some other time."

He shrugged and scooted back to his car, anxious to end the conversation.

-x-

Beau stumbled into the first bar he found. He had passed this one often on his way home from work before; he figured it was about time he used it. It had been a shitty week.

He slammed a ten dollar bill on the counter.

"I'll start with two beers--anything's fine, just give me PBR if you have it."

When Alexei heard 'PBR', he instantly turned.

"Do you think I serve that govno here?" he snapped, looking rather cross. Then, his expression softened when he realized he recognized the man. "Oh. You're the one whose working on my baby. Beau, right?"

He almost jumped at the sound of his name.

"...Oh," he said, "It's you." Feeling far more comfortable on a bar stool far from his boss, he finally looked at the man's face; to his chagrin, it was handsome. This was the type of man he'd want to encounter drunk in a bathroom, and the thought filled him with shame.

"For you, anything you want, it's on me," he replied, leaning over the bar so he could see the young man's face better. He was indeed very cute. "So, how are things going?"

"...Kinda shitty," he admitted. "I just want a couple beers to start, is all. If the night gets worse, I'll drink worse."

"Do you like Samuel Adams? It's one of the best beers I've got," he poured a glass for Beau, smiling at him. He pushed stray pieces of hair behind his ears. "Anything for you, sweetie."

"Never had it before." He took a sip from the glass, and nodded. "That's actually pretty good, I guess.

"So you work at this bar?"

"Well, yes," he smiled, tapping his well taken care of nails on the bartop. "But I also own it, too. Which is why I can afford to let you drink free."

"...Oh." He glanced around the room, trying to distract himself from Alexei's face. "I can pay though, it's fine--I have money. I mean, I'm just fixing your bike, I already get paid for that."

"No, no, you're fixing my baby, you drink for free. It's a rule," he insisted, patting Beau on the arm. He let his hand linger for, perhaps, a bit too long.

He took a big gulp of his beer, trying not to notice.

"Well, uh. Thanks. I guess."

"So, I've never seen you around here before. What brings you into my bar?" he wondered, taking his hair out of his ponytail so he could redo it.

"Getting drunk," he replied flatly, sipping his beer again. "Not too far from home. That's about it."

Alexei pulled his hair back into a ponytail, leaning over the bar again so he could look at Beau.

"So...do you mind if we talk or should I leave you to your drinking?"

He slicked back his hair, staring intently at his beer. He could feel his face growing warmer and he didn't like it.

"...You're buying my beer, aren't you? You can do whatever the hell you want."

"Well, I'd like to know more about you, then. You're cute," he said, smiling.

His face reddened.

"...What do you wanna know? I'm just a mechanic."

"And are you seeing anyone?" he asked, grinning.