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When one wants to find a Guthrie one really needs to look no further than Atomic. Unless you were looking for Sam. Boy had some attitude and altitude. Might have to look a little bit farther for that one.
What JP lacked in range of wardrobe was made up for by wearing the shit out of what he had in classic style like James Dean invading the Mod/Hippie era of the 1950's with keeping being a Greaser alive and well.
Who the hell was going to tell him not to change and with how that t-shirt and jeans were hugging him as he sauntered back into the club in an afternoon like he run the world, well, why would you want to? It was such good entertainment.
In his usual rounds he swung by the juke box and leaned on it (tagging it of course to put his bond on the box) and pushed the buttons he wanted. He didn't need a nickel. It listened to him. Millie Smalls started crooning away cheerfully singing "My Boy Lollypop" which never ever failed to put a bounce and a dance in his step as he dance-walked idly over to the counter; keeping the beat with a half flick/half snap of digits.
OH that smile turned up to 60 watt ever with that effortless bullshit bayou charm of his. "Zhebadiah," Because all his J's came out like Zzh's including his own. "Jes the mon ami I come to see, oui?" Oh now he was a poet apparently. English language, hide now!
Jeb is almost always at the club if he isn't out running around with 'monsters'. He likes the quiet of the club during the day for sketching purposes. So when Sexy And I Know It saunters into the club, Jeb is sitting on the bar, one long leg hanging off of it, the other propped up as an easel as he works on something in his sketchbook. He flicks his eyes up to see who it is, mostly to acknowledge them and see if they wanted something to drink. When he sees its JP though, the charcoal he is holding slides past the notebook and up to his knee which is where his hand stays when JP says his name.
'Me?' He mouths, pointing to his chest with the piece of charcoal, adding color to his shirt as well. He clears his throat. "Uh… Ah mean, me? You wanted 'ta see me?" Did Elmo tell JP what he said?
His voice was a couple octaves higher than he meant it to be and the words come out practically squeaked. "U-uhm… Did ya want a drink? Go easy on me though, Ah still ain't great at mixin' drinks." He stammers, trying to drop his voice back to it's normal pitch.
JP warmed a half grin with a chuckle at the octave switch, or maybe it was amusement that Jeb just drew on himself. The smile hung though and said, "Less tu mama been super busy I think there only one of you." He looked about and back observing with a mild disappointment, "Sammy still out?" He figured the answer but assured Jeb, as he flipped the bar stool around to straddle it, "Yeah you. Figure you into makin a couple bucks I might have somethin for ya you might be interested in." Drink though He did some quick math in his head and rapped his knuckles on the bar. "Sure, I'm always down f'an experiment, hmm?" There was the eyebrow wiggle. To figure out if he was making a pass at someone, or just amusing himself with his own cleverness, or if there was even such a thing as a difference between the two was night impossible. "Besides tendin bar? Tres simple. You get the alcohol in the glass you win."
"There is only one of me, yeah. But my mama been plenty busy. Just ain't another Jebediah and trust me, she's quite pleased about that. Ah was the worst one. Or probably still is, really, Ah'm just too far away to be her problem anymore." Jeb teases but it's easy to read that Jeb believes that about himself. He swings his other leg down and sets the sketchbook open on the counter. The sketch he had been working on is very clearly Elmo, electricity between his hands. He had been adding charcoal to the background. A line extends from the background off the page where seeing JP had distracted Jeb.
He hops off the bar and circles it to make JP a rum and coke, figuring it's simple enough to not mess up and JP looks like a rum kind of guy. He makes a noise, like a whine and a cluck of his tongue all at once when JP straddles the damn barstool. "You gotta know that you're hotter than lava, right? And then you gotta do stuff like that. Yer bad for everyone's heart, a walkin' sin." He grumbles before he hands the drink to JP, it's a little stronger than it's meant to be, perhaps on purpose.
"You got somethin' you want me to do for you?" Jeb asks, leaning on the counter to hear the man out. "Ah reckon Ah could probably help you out. What you need me to do?"
JP listened in that way he did when there was some good deets flying; one ear up with a that smile on pause. "Naaaah you can' no possibly be tha wors' one, mon ami. I know too much about you brother buuuut… " He paused had that epiphany, "Ooh, maybe she don'. ? Huh." There was food for thought he let pass.
JP folded his fingers loosely, pointing in casual, but sincere appreciation, "You scary good at that. I need ruler t'make a straight line.." That eyebrow arched REALLY high not expecting that to come out of Kentucky Jr.'s face. Damn him that bullshit Bayou Charm? cranked up to eight just preening with no small amount of pride or amusement at the compliments side-eyeing Jeb.
"Yeah the Devil say I do pretty god, but mon mama? She still take my calls so I ain' too damned." That spark stayed in his eye. He did not expect that. What fun. His head tilted the other way following the King of Charcoal back around the bar with a glance, bouncing his hands on the bar. To talk business, or to make the situation worse? Eh, as Star-Lord said, maybe a bit of both. It was an effortless act of jsut being himself which he could do so damn naturally.
"Lawdy, you think this bad , Zhebediah, I should show you some things. Make you head fall right off." He shrugged, "But hey, keep a roof on m'head. Ask tu frere Sammy bout that. " MIllie Small on the juke was singing, with JP singing along with a mumble so damn pleased with the alignment of his world, 'You lips as sweet as can-deee eyou mah sugar dan-dee…'
Nearly sin incarnate. God he did not need that wink when the drink was set down in front of him. He took a sip and gave a nod of approval, and swiveled to face Jeb, "Could prolly do a few things fo' me, buuuut" He leaned his folded arms on the counter tilting his head up to address Jeb, "I was tol by Elmo you do things with wood?" Ya know of all the things he didn't try to make a double entandre, that one came about all on its own.
His drink sways in his hand muting any gesturing he was doing to elaborate. "That thing that you do t' like a counter. Make a design in it? Then it all dark an' stuff, or like carve into a thing, I don' care. I'm reworkin a bureau an' a couple shelves. Wanted t'put a thing on em. Is a gift." His hea dwobbled, "I wan' em t'look nice an stuff."
"Which brother? 'Spose you mean Sam. Yeah he's can make a nun sweat just like you but all his sins are of the flesh. Nothin' a few hail Mary's cain't fix to get him past the pearly gates." Jeb says but doesn't speak on his own sins. Instead he smiles when JP compliments his work. "Thanks. Ah really like the way Elmo uses electricity. Ah love drawin' him because he ain't conventionally handsome. He's still real handsome but not textbook handsome. Ah like his nose and his scarred hands and his eyebrows. Those are what makes him beautiful to me. And when he uses his electricity? It reflects in his eyes and that's a gorgeous sight. But don't you never ever tell him Ah said any of that."
Then the bastard arches that eyebrow at Jeb and winks at him and says Jeb could do a few things for him and Jeb nearly feels faint, proving all those dumb movies his sisters watch right, a handsome man truly can make you weak in the knees. Jeb is trying to decide if he wants to kiss JP for the feeling or punch him or both when JP finally mentions what he came here looking for. "Wood burnin' is an art of mine, Ah do it with my eyes. You wanna see samples? Ah got some in my bag and Ah got some photos of a big piece Ah did for a friend 'a mine."
JP nodded with Jeb's assessment of Sam and muttered, "Yeaaaah he migh' have one up on me too." He didn't discuss the angels or that business in the slightest. Jeb's compliment to Elmo' s use of electrisity got a chuckle from JP, "Meeee too." He sipped his drink and nodded to the rest. "Pfff merde, I tell em that alla time cause it make him angry as hell." THAT got that Bonaventure grin back.
"I like you. You speak you mind. WHy can' you teach Sammy t'do that? He rather just beat the piss outta me, that fine too, but that boy couldn' say what he means if his balls on fire." He just shook his head pausing and glancing around, "Huh. Guess he really ain' here."
MAN he loved watching the colour rise up in Jeb's face. Merde, he knew He must know. Was he sipping that drink slower and enjoying that? He was that bastard, like he was making out with the flavour in front of Jeb in brazen, subtle fashion.
At the offer to see the samples JP warmed an impish grin laughing, "I love it when people say that. Sure, show me the wood." God his humor was very 13 years old. There were no apologizes for it cause it was damn funny. "Don' worry, I got cash. I'm good for it."
"Because he's Sam and he punches first and asks questions later. He's a big idiot but he's our big idiot." Jeb admits. "Not like Ah'm any smarter. Jay, on the other hand, he is a saint. Ah reckon that's why he got the wings. He's actually an angel. Sammy ain't here. He's off savin' the world or somethin'."
Jeb blushes a deeper red when JP seems to drink his alcohol even SLOWER. "You are the absolute worst. Ah'm gonna charge you double if you keep bein' sexy at me. Ain't no fair and you know it." Jeb grumbles and then goes to the office to get his bag.
When he returns he hands a polished piece of wood to JP, in the center is a wolf, intricately burned into the wood. He pulls out a picture of the piece he did for Morbius, which was basically a giant portrait meant to be hung up on a wall with the moon burned into it, the details burned in with every crater and the second one, which had a Greek beach village silhouetted against a very specific night sky, the stars were little holes burned all the way through and a light had been placed behind the entire thing so that the stars would shine.
JP had to nod agreement for Sammy swinging first he muttered, "How you think we met?" Oh yeah, he knew Sammy for a reason didn't he. He went to take another drink when Jeb chewed him out, and THAT singularly amused him looking Jeb dead in the eye, with his dark as chocolate and full of amusement, "Usually people pay me double t'do jes that. Ain' that somethin." Did he seriously just say that out loud?
Yup.
And entirely unapologetic about it.
He really is everything Mothers and Elmos warn people about.
His thumb idly itched at his jaw and his focus snapped to the project at hand. Woah you are super fancy… well… shit if I gotta pull a job or somethin t'get you t' put a lil fox on a thing you lemme know." He paused and reached back to rub the back of his neck with one rough, leathery mitt of his, "They got me this workbench. Made it. F'me. Like by han' and stufff. REALLY sturdy. Ain' fancy but boy it great." He smiled just in love with this damn thing. "Put a lil rabbit on it f'me so ya know, I'd know. But I wanted t'fix up a couple pieces to do the same. Put a lil somethin small on it." He made an open circle with his fingers, "Rabbit only like that big. I don' wanna tell em how t'decorate, jes a reminder ya know?"
"Well no, the guy Ah made these for, he's super fancy. It don't gotta be that fancy, Ah can do however you want." Jeb explains sitting down next to JP. "Ah won't charge you an arm and a leg. You Elmo and Jay's friend so that means you're good folk even if you comin' here bein' sexy at me just to make me blush and leave." He gives JP a pointed look for that.
"What kinda rabbit you want? A whole rabbit layin' down or just a head? Ah can definitely help you out and actually, Ah might be able to give you a discount." Jeb leans a little closer deciding to be brave apparantly, Jeb demonstrates he has in fact, inherited a little of his brothers' southern boy charm. "You give me a kiss and Ah'll knock ten dollars off."
JP looked up honestly confused holding up his drink and empty hand, "Leave? I jes got here." He's innocent! Look at em!
At the question of the rabbit he waved his hand "Non non non, I have the rabbit. Mon Renard? It need t'be a fox. Ooh maybe a fox an a rabbit runnin around in a circle. Tha' be good."
JP went to drink his drink, paused and nodded, "We can absolutely negotiate this. I believe in fair trade. It a lot a' work tho. You jes tell em what you wan an we good." Elmo really wasn't wrong.
"Absolutely negotiate this. Ah'm here trying to flirt with you and that's what you say." Jeb says with a shake of his head. "Oh? Okay a fox. That's actually probably easier. Do you got what you want me to burn it into at the garage? Ah can come over to work on it whenever Ah ain't workin' here if you want."
JP arched an eyebrow and chuckled, "Flirt? Who said I wasn' serious? I may be many things, Guthrie, but I'm a man a' m'word." He winked to Jeb with that half- grin lingerin, "I jes said you set the terms."
He watched Jeb and said soberly,, "Sometime there come a day people need inspiration an this? What you do?" He leaned forward and spoke quietly, but frankly believing this with every fiber, "They gon' look at your work and realize they already have it. Don' you f'get that, Zhebedian Guthree. Art got reach, an' a voice. When that time come? I wanna know I did right by you."
"Flirt away, name you price. You tell me what you need t'make this happen, and I'll make that happen."
"Ah ain't really know what to ask for it. Ah like to just make gifts for free. Is.. is fifty too much?" Truly Jeb is such a sweet soul that he has only made gifts so far. Jeb blushes even more when JP leans forward and says all that nice stuff about his art. "Aw, hell JP Ah ain't gonna have any blood left you keep sweet talking me like that. Fifty? And you kiss me. Twice. But you can put a down payment on it now if you like."
JP nodded squinting an eye, "Yeaaaaah guess we have that in common." He paused and shrugged, "Sometimes break into people's places jes t'fix things. Kinda screws the repair guys, but ya know my neighbours really can' afford merde abou' merde." He shrugged and shook his head. As lascivious as his very nature may be, he was genuine, "Ain' sweet talkin. I meant it. I also jes really like seein you' ears turn red." There was that glint of mischief.
At the offer of two and fifty JP nodded, "Yeah we can start there. " He did not elaborate, but he seemed perfectly agreeable to this. One eyebrow arched slightly higher, "Then you wan' talk about bein a businessman for you craft t'make sure you still gettin what you need? Maybe if you wan' I teach you. I' tellin you, everyone always things of parts. No one appreciates the labour part."
JP set the glass down, all mischief like a n imp clad in leather an, denim, and grease and asked refering to the time Sam infamously dove over the bar to try and beat the shit out of JP with a wry amusement, "You ain' gonna dive over the bar at me too are ya?"
"You live here in MT? Because Ah do too and as shitty as the livin' situations can be, the community always tryin' to help each other out. So when someone comes askin' me for somethin' pretty Ah just give it to em. Ah like making things for the kiddos at the community center best. They describe a 'mutant animal' for me and Ah draw it for them. They love it." Jeb smiles. "Ah want a gaggle and a half of em when Ah'm older. Gonna name the first one after Jay, no matter what they is. Girl, boy, whatever."
"You can teach me to haggle? If it were you, how many kisses coulda you wrung you for?" Jeb teases a little, still shyly flirting with JP. "Ah ain't jumpin over the bar. Especially because Ah'm right here beside ya. Ah mean, the closest to it is Ah could jump in your lap if yer lookin' for that but the door ain't locked and Ah ain't quite that forward."
The Cajun arched an eyebrow and nodded. Yeah, he could teach him to haggle, but overall seemed to approve where those charitable efforts lie. The talk of making mutant animals seemed to strike a cord with him. "Ask Elmo about Mutant reindeer sometime." He left it precisely at that.
As for the flirting? This amused him. IT was adorable, "Step one, know what you want an shoot a lil past that. This way if there a haggle you can fall back to what you after to begin wit'. Anythin after that? Weeeeell that jes' early Christmas ain' it an nothin wrong wit' that. Sides If they ain' in they can haggle down or jes not agree. Sooo t' that end? Is a good start. I'd start higher, but that's me. See, I like you so I can' tell you what you wan'. Once you get comfortable sayin this what I'm worth? Thaaaat is a place you can do good business from, personal or otherwise."
He really had this business thing down to an art. Hell he was proud of him for asking. "Work wit' business, wit' personal and even a bit a both."
"Well, Ah didn't know what Ah wanted like… moneywise. Ah just wanted to help you because you a mutant like me and Jay likes you and so does Elmo even though most of the time Elmo ain't like me. But they is pretty good judge 'a character." Jeb admits. "Because 'a that Ah didn't wanna ask too much 'a you. But Ah mean. Ah also wanted a thousand kisses but Ah felt like that was probably too high. How you gonna kiss anyone else then? A stud like you probably got a line and a half of people you wanna be kissin'."
"Alright. Thank you for those tips, JP. Ah'll try to get braver about it." Jeb says earnestly.
JP arched an eyebrow unaware Jay spoke of him really. "Jay a good guy. Merde, he treat Elmo better than Elmo treatin Elmo." JP rolled his eyes up at this with a shake of his head at his partner's self-criticisms. "Guess we all kidna like that tho."
At the list of the things he wanted JP grinned, "See, now that the kinda deal that might start takin paint off the walls." He eyebrow arched proudly, "Can show you how t'do tha' too." He just don't quit. How it was so easy for him? Who knows.
"An' sometimes yeah, I suppose that troo. But ya know I think it important t'go after the things that make you happy. Like drivin a car, jes gotta grab on wit' both hands and ride it til there nothin left or ya hit the beach."
"Everybody treats Elmo better than Elmo treats Elmo. Ah think Ah might even and Ah punched him once." Jeb says with a small frown. "Its a shame because Elmo is a great guy but don't tell him Ah said that neither."
"Show me how to get a thousand kisses out of you?" Jeb asks with a small wink of his own. "Is there just a magic word or somethin'?"
"Oh. Actually there's one more thing you could do for me. Could you come visit the kids at the community center with me one night? Ah cain't draw for all of them immediately so it would really help if Ah had someone else to entertain them and you got a great accent. Kids love mine, bet they'd lose their minds over yours." Jeb asks and reaches for JP's hand to shake. "Please, JP? It'll be a deal then."
The Cajun did consider the offer and arched an eyebrow, "Sure, I go there alla time. Merde, Elmo an' I buildin em a mechanical puppet show an everythin. Could prolly use the help t' paint a lil set for the back of it. Make it nice." He might seriously be the world's big brother.
JP stood up from from the stool, and slid the glass… over. All 5'10 of him even smelled like leather and engine oil and danger up close. It somehow suited him, but his attention was on Jeb, and when he's commissioned/dared/or otherwise moved to do something it was full-throttle or not at all. He shook the hand, and that was the beginning of troubles this afternoon.
One hand reached up and took the side of Jeb's face. The other hand let a finger hook into Jeb's beltloop and pulled him forward leaning in but paused just before impact with a faint grin. Then he pressed a kiss to that other Southerner in that way them rumors about that bullshit bayou charm, maybe isn't bullshit after all, just infuriating. It was with an ease of familiarity that was fueled by the lust of a hungry soul.
It was one of the great and terrible things about JP; he didn't care where he was or who was watching like that sailor kissing that nurse on shore leave in Times Square. These moments there was only the person in front of him and the rest of the world could burn in the heat off that kiss until he was done.
Or was forcibly beaten and arrested.
This may also be one of those fun risks.
Jeb didn't honestly think that JP was going to go through on the 'down payment' Jeb had arranged. So when JP pulls him in for the kiss by his belt loop, the cajun does steal his breath away. It takes a beat for Jeb to realize this is actually happening. Then he moves one hand to his shoulder, then bravely moves it to JP's neck. The other one settles against JP's chest and Jeb is kissing back enthusiastically, not thinking about the unlocked doors, who could walk into the bar, completely wrapped up in this kiss.
Jeb clearly has experience with kissing, kissing men even, evidenced in the way he gives back as much as he gets.
JP was born to fight ,and today he fought the illusion of common decency, reason, and now status quo. Apparently Jeb, somewhat startled, missed the bold warning: If you challenge JP to do something it will happen immediately, regardless of audience or venue. Be specific, be warned. JP stepped into Jeb putting Guthrie's hips back to the counter. All raw instincts and rebellion, it was what drove him, and he latched into Jeb and this very moment like he wanted to be there. Hand still with that grip on the side of Jeb's face, pulling him in, wanting him there,
JP stole a second while he could. There was mischief in those eyes when they opened wearing a wolfish grin as were he some sort of angel of vice. One smaller kiss left and then teeth clamped on Jeb's lip hard, not enough to break skin.
His thumb brushed over Jeb's cheek and he he reasoned, "'T remember me by, but oooh look' the fight on you, Guthrie." He shook his head with approval and a smile, "Mmm! And like that the storm that was JP Bonaventure simply passed.
"Alright you said fifty but time ain' free, future ain' free, and takin care 'yo mama deeefininately ain' free. I got a job comin in an this gift for mon Renard? Super important t'me,. Also? That was damn fine, merci beaucoup. So I'm a hook you up an' make sure, financially, mon appreciation? Properly expressed. "
JP presses Jeb against the counter and definitely takes all the breath out of the younger Guthrie's lungs. He easily steals a second kiss and when he backs up, biting Jeb's lower lip, he leaves Jeb a little dazed and breathless, thumb coming up to trace his lower lip like he couldn't believe JP had really done that.
"As if there is a single person in the world who could forget you, Bonaventure." Jeb says, still a little dazed. "Ah can start working on it now. Where do you keep what you want me to decorate? At the shop?"
JP really thought about it and squint, "Hmmm prolly a couple that want to, 'reckon." That southern charm came back by way of a half-grin. Eyebrows lift with a head tilt shrug. He preened, but he wasn't a braggart. He certainly wasn't going to stop Jeb from doing so.
"Yeah, I got work space behind the garage you welcome to. Welcome to out durin' work hours. We up at 7 usually, or whatever. Durin work hours f'this ain' no problem." Shortly he reinstated, "Look, I really appreciate this. It gonna mean a lot to em. Me too." JP the great hurricane of New Orleans on his mission to get really nice shelves for a Fox without furniture.