Chris and Ezra were lounging in the twin armchairs, sharing the paper. Ezra was going through the economy pages, while Chris had just finished with the international news-covering. The TV on in the background.
"Sports?"
Ezra handed over the section. Then looked at his watch. "Shouldn't JD be back by now?"
"Mmm, I think he said something about doing some shopping."
"Really?"
"For the concert."
"Ah, yes, the concert." He cast a glance at Chris. "Care to do something tonight?"
Chris grunted, clearly uninterested.
Ezra dared another shot. "It's just that...we haven't been going out much lately and..." He casually turned another page, landing on a full-page computer software-ad. "...I just thought..."
He was interrupted by the front door opening, and slamming shut. Moments later, they were joined by JD.
"Hey, wanna see what I got?" He didn't wait for an answer, and poured the contents of the bag on the table. He hadn't bought much, just something in purple that looked like a dress.
Chris raised an eyebrow at this.
JD was quick to defend himself. "It's a tunic."
Ezra grinned "Looks like a dress from here..."
"It's a tunic."
"Ah huh..." Chris's smile was ready to burst out any second now.
"It is so! ...And besides, lots of guys wear dresses these days." JD picked it up and left for the bedroom to get ready for the night.
Ezra and Chris chuckled quietly at each-other, and followed.
JD was lying face-down on the bed with his bathrobe on, leafing through the Glam issue of 'Mojo'. Chris had found a book to occupy himself with, while Ezra was getting impatient in front of the mirror.
JD looked up. "Are you just gonna wait for me to get ready?"
"Looks like it." Ezra muttered as he tried making a fifties-drop on his forehead, but his hair was too short and bounced up again.
JD looked at Chris and sighed. "You're getting old."
Chris never flinched. "Who are you calling old?"
"I'm just saying, we haven't been out, the three of us, in ages, it would be nice to do something. Sometime. That's all."
Chris didn't answer.
"Not tonight, obviously, but you two could at least go out and...I dunno, the theatre perhaps? Or a club or...something."
Chris finally looked up. Meeting the open stare from JD and Ezra's more cautious glance through the mirror. He thought about it. "Sure. Whatever."
Ezra smiled gratefully at JD, who got up to finally change into his outfit. When done, he was wearing the tight-fitting tunic over a pair of plum boot-cuts and sneakers. Rummaging through the drawers, he found his eyeliner and started applying.
When satisfied with the result, he turned back to the room. The others were still just loitering about. "I thought you were going out?"
"?" Ezra looked bewildered.
"Like that?"
Ezra took a look at his usual attire. What was wrong with that, he wondered.
"It's boring. For a night out I mean." He looked them over. "How about some makeup at least?"
Chris sniffed at that. Ezra laughed right out.
"Hey, it's modern days! You gotta go with the times!" JD picked up a small jar. "Just a touch of highlight..."
Ezra was caught off-guard and failed to protect himself from JD's attack.
"It's hardly even visible, take a look."
Ezra glanced cautiously at himself through the mirror. JD was right, it was discreet. Letting the light catch the reflection, he found himself with a satisfied grin on his face. He turned back to Chris. "Your turn."
Chris looked up with an expression on his face that spoke more than a thousand words.
It only stopped JD for a moment. He was on a roll now and wasn't about to let a grumpy old man spoil his fun. Remembering the lessons he'd been taking from Buck, he put on his most seductive puppy-smile. "Just a little?"
Chris moved back and forth between JD and Ezra for one long minute before giving in. "No pink or...pastel, or..."
An exuberant JD cut him off mid sentence, and went to work.
"And not too much!"
JD sighed impatiently. "Don't worry."
Ezra moved behind JD to overlook the work. "A bit more on the corner... And there... Smudge it."
JD stopped abruptly. "I think I know how to put makeup on, Ezra!"
"Just giving a few hints, that's all."
"Stop that, or I'm taking this off right now." Chris's quiet threat was very effective. Although the silent bickering continued, with Ezra nudging JD in the right direction, and JD shrugging him off.
At last, looking back at his work, JD decided it need something more. "Ezra, give me that tube of black glitter, will ya?"
"Glitter?" Chris flinched. "You never said anything about glitter!"
"Just for that final touch. You'll hardly notice it, trust me."
Chris gave JD a last glare, before allowing him to finish it.
"Done."
"And, if I may say so, quite the masterpiece, Mr Dunne. My congratulations."
JD was rather proud of himself. "Thank you, Ezra."
Chris on the other hand was almost afraid to look in the mirror, and had to steel himself for it. Finally there, he saw two buckets of black dust dumped on his face. Outraged, he turned to JD. "Get this off. Right now."
JD was baffled. "What are you talking about? It looks great!" He looked around for support. "Ezra?"
Ezra had an appreciative grin on his face. "He's right, you know. You really do look..." He sighed dreamingly.
Chris stared at them. "You're taking me for a ride."
JD giggled. "No...not yet." Ezra let out a snort.
Chris turned back to the mirror. Well, he did look kinda dangerous like this...
The turning-point didn't go unnoticed. Ezra picked up a bottle of mousse. "And now for the hair..."
Chris shot out a menacing finger. "Don't push it, Ezra." Back to his reflection, a grin slowly formed on his lips.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
"Since you're going out too, think you could drop me off?" JD asked on their way down the elevator.
"Mm-hmm...sure." Chris's makeup was really doing its job on Ezra.
It didn't pass Chris unnoticed.
Nor JD. He looked anxiously at them. "You will wait 'til I get back, won't you?"
Chris laughed. "Not sure we can promise that...but, ah...we'll be up and ready for you when you do. Don't worry."
"Sure?"
Ezra caught him in a quick kiss. "We may start without you, but there's no finish 'til you get there. That's a guarantee." Looking down at the dark bronze reflecting in the outer corners of the eyes, Ezra smiled at him. "I suppose you don't want to miss this concert of yours?"
"I've only waited a year!" JD exclaimed, and damned his luck.
They all sighed.
Stepping out of the building and noticing the appreciative looks from passers-by, Chris reminded himself to show JD his own appreciation later on.
Looking at JD as they dropped him off, he thought to himself that that wouldn't be a hard thing to remember.
But for now, there was Ezra. And Ezra... He grinned. They would be getting stares tonight. Envious ones.
He chuckled, they wouldn't be staying out long tonight.
The End
