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Sebastian
Sebastian wasn't shy, no matter how much his two best friends insisted he was.
He just so happened to prefer hanging out in his dorm room, dressed in soft-worn jeans that were frayed at the edges, and some t-shirt that proclaimed his status as a bit of a nerd. And he had so many books to read, or re-read, or maybe just pet lovingly while he watched the movie version. Really, he wasn't all that picky. And his dorm room was comfortable, and most importantly, a single. Which meant he should be alone in it, alone to lay down on his overly narrow bed and it's coverlet with the print of the galaxy that he frequently dragged his fingers over. He might not have a TV, but his laptop could play all the movies he collected, and just because girls didn't get his love of everything sci-fi or superheroes didn't mean it was something wrong with it.
This was how he had planned to spend the evening, or perhaps indulging himself in some comics, but clearly that was not to be.
"Sebastian Stan," Scarlett said as she stepped inside, Lizzy close behind her. "Why are you not dressed?"
"Some people," Sebastian said without looking up from the book he was reading, "do this thing with their knuckles against the door. I heard it's called knocking."
"Yes, polite people," Lizzy said, kicking the door shut behind them and sat down on Sebastian's desk chair. "We're not polite, and you still need to explain why you're not dressed."
"I am wearing clothes," Sebastian pointed out, sitting up in the bed and glaring at his two best friends."
He was, in fact, wearing clothes. But considering that Scarlett had insisted they'd go out partying, he wasn't really surprised that his ensemble of basketball shorts and a t-shirt wasn't approved attire.
"Seb, darling, sweetie," Scarlett said in a voice that told him that there was no way he would win the discussion. "You are coming out with us, we're gonna fix you up and then hook you up."
Scarlet and Lizzy knew what they wanted, and Sebastian might be a nerd, but he was also smart enough to not argue with his friends when they ganged up on him. Protesting seldom ended well for him, besides, he knew they meant well. He also knew that if he agreed to the dancing, they were likely to forget about trying to get him laid.
"Fine," he said with a sigh, getting up and stretching slightly. "I'll grab some jeans and-"
"No," the girls said as one. "You've not been out with us for weeks, and we said we'll fix you up. We brought tequila."
Sebastian knew right then and there that he was doomed.
-¤-
The taste of tequila lingered on the back of his tongue when they entered the club and when he licked his lips he could taste the lemon from their last shot. He wasn't drunk, but he was well on his way there. Since Scarlett was already making a beeline for the bar, he thought it wouldn't take all too long.
"There!" Lizzy called, grabbing his arm and pulling him over to a bar table close to the dance floor.
He wasn't sure if the people that turned to watch them pass were looking at Lizzy, her black and white dress highlighting her almost ethereal beauty, or if they were looking at him, dressed in jeans that were so tight he was amazed he'd gotten them on to begin with. The black t-shirt the girls had put on him him clung to his body as well, and if not for the alcohol heating his cheeks he would still be flushed for other reasons.
"If there are pictures of this on Facebook tomorrow…"
"No," Lizzy said, voice loud to be heard above the music. "No pictures, promise!"
As always, Scarlett had no problems getting drinks, it was far from the first time he and Lizzy had let Scarlett use her looks and charm to get things for them. What he hadn't expected was for the drinks that she put down on the table to be pink and fruity, complete with small umbrellas to top them off.
"Girls night out?" Sebastian asked, grabbing one of the glasses and spinning the umbrella back and forth.
"Like you're one to protest," Lizzy grinned, raising her glass. "Cheers, darlings, here's to an unforgettable night."
Chris
It wasn't that Chris didn't want to go out for a few drinks, but he knew his friends and there was no way that Mackie and Paul would let the night end calmly, not when the three of them had just turned in a big group assignment and they now had a full week of free time before they had to turn their focus back to school. Celebrations were needed and that meant Chris was likely to drink a bit more than was probably wise.
The club was crowded and he had no idea how the guys had managed to snag a table by the time he got there, but they even managed to save a chair for him and a cold beer was waiting on the table.
"No dancing?" Chris asked as he sat down.
"Not drunk enough yet," Mackie said, raising his glass. "Besides, the two hottest girls here are already busy, I'm waiting for an in."
"As usual, Mackie is all class," Paul said with a headshake, taking a deep swig of his beer.
Chris shook his head at his friends, both of them choosing to act like players but he knew better. Everyone who had ever met them knew better. To be honest though, Chris could see the appeal in the two girls that Mackie was looking at, one with dark long hair and the other with short blonde, and both of them beautiful enough to turn heads. What caught Chris' attention, though, was the guy they were dancing with and he stilled with his beer halfway to his mouth.
"Who is that guy?" Chris asked before he could think better of it.
"Never seen him before," Paul said with a shrug,"but I guess he's hot if you like that sort of thing."
Hot was an understatement as far as Chris was concerned, and he was very much into that sort of thing. The guy's hair was styled and even from the distance Chris thought he could see eyeliner to enhance big eyes. Tight jeans clung to long legs and Chris groaned slightly at the way clothes clung to a toned body. A body that was moving to the sway of the music, with the girls spinning him around and even though neither of them were dancing to look sexy, the trio was the main focus for a big part of the club.
Despite being out to have fun with his friends, Chris knew he would spend a decent amount of the evening looking at the guy who had caught his attention and from the looks that Paul and Mackie were sharing, they knew it as well.
-¤-
Chris sat down in his seat, resting the notebook against his knee and smiling at the people moving around the auditorium in search of good seats. He liked working for the campus newspapers but being sent out to review plays and concerts wasn't always a pleasurable experience. In fact, he wasn't sure he had really gotten over the last play he had been sent to watch. The auditorium filled up around him and Chris was relieved. The masses weren't always right, but he hoped it was a good sign that the performance ahead would be less than painful..
Mad Hatter - Escape from Wonderland, Chris wrote at the top of the page, just as the lights dimmed down and a hush fell over the crowd.
"Eat me, drink me. Want to be me? You, get closer. Soon you'll know me."
The voice rang out in the dark, smooth and enticing and Chris found himself straighten up in his seat. A red beam of light landed on a man standing in the middle of the stage, head tilted forward and face hidden in shadow from the velvet hat on his head. A long coat accentuated a slim body, billowing out around long legs and Chris felt a pang of heat in his belly. That feeling only increased when a pale hand reached up to remove the hat and a full mouth quirked up into a mischievous smile.
"My name is Jefferson, but you might know me better as The Mad Hatter. This is my story."
Chris didn't manage jot down a single word, instead watching transfixed as the guy from the club performed magic on the stage. And at least, thanks to the posters he had seen outside, he had a name to go with the very pretty face.
Chris needed to get to know Sebastian Stan.
Sebastian
"I need to throw up," Sebastian said as he stumbled off the stage, huge bouquet of flowers clutched in his hands.
Scarlett practically flung herself around his neck, but he still caught her fond eyeroll.
"You did well," she whispered into his ear. "No, you were fucking amazing!"
Sebastian grinned wide, still shaking as the adrenaline slowly faded away and he knew he probably looked like a complete goof. He also knew that he had been good, even without the standing ovations still ringing in his ears.
"I think there was a guy from the college newspapers out there as well, I recognized him from that concert I attended a few months ago. I'm sure you'll get an awesome review. You have to."
"Yeah? I'm...really? Okay. Yeah. Wow."
He thought he wouldn't stop grinning for days as he was filled with something that could only be described as euphoria. Sebastian loved doing theater, slipping into a character, wrapping it around himself and make it his own and he knew he was good at it. But for the first time he felt that it was something he was really good at, and something people might notice him for, outside of the drama group.
With the scent of flowers filling his nose and the feel of makeup heavy on his skin, Sebastian was in heaven.
-¤-
"It's kinda tight," Sebastian said slowly.
That was an understatement if he'd ever made one. The Deadpool costume clung to every part of his body and Sebastian was happy that his face was covered as well so that the girls couldn't see how pink his cheeks were. He blushed even further when Lizzy whistled appreciatively as she walked behind him and he almost expected her to pat his ass.
"It's super tight," she corrected, "and it is super hot. Now, let's go trick or treating."
Sebastian fixed his fake swords to his back and took a deep breath before following his friends out of his dorm room. The corridor outside was crowded with people in various degrees of costume. At least he wasn't the only one in skintight clothing. Even though the costume almost felt as though it was painted on, it was still better than a guy that stumbled past him in what he assumed was an Adam costume. Really, those fake figleaves definitely needed to be larger.
At least they weren't staying at the dorm party and Sebastian tried to forget about drunk-Adam, instead he linked arms with Scarlett and Lizzy and let them lead him towards the townhouse where they had been invited to something that was promised to be The Most Epic Halloween Party. Sebastian really doubted that but as long as there were no fig leaves, he'd be pleased.
"How does it feel, Seb?" Lizzy asked as they closed in on the part. "That review was just amazing, whoever this Evans dude is, he sure liked your performance."
Sebastian laughed. The review had only come out the day before and it had been one of the most positive reviews the campus newspaper had ever published. At first Sebastian had been confused but to his surprise, no one had complained about the review, instead everyone had agreed and the play was sold out for the rest of the run. Although, he did assume they would add extra shows in view of the sudden rise in popularity.
"It wasn't only me," Sebastian pointed out, although he was still smiling under his hood. "But yeah, fuck, I mean it's...I didn't expect it."
"Oh, sweetie," Scarlett said, leaning into him as they walked. "Most of it was your performance. You might be a shy little nerd most of the time, but on that stage? Seb, baby, you're more magical than that hat!"
Not for the first time he was reminded of why the girls were his best friends, and had been so since the first class they had shared.
"I'm not," he protested even as he pulled the girls closer. "But yeah, it feels really fucking good. And I think I might need to celebrate."
-¤-
Sebastian was not celebrating. Not unless sipping the same lukewarm beer for an hour counted as celebrating. He wasn't sure where Lizzie had gone, and in her Jessica Rabbit do she would've been really obvious. Scarlett on the other hand was standing at the drinks table, hand on her hip and hair slicked back, Sebastian might have a thing for David Bowie but that wasn't the only reason he found Scarlett really hot in her costume, it almost made him sad he preferred guys. Almost, but not really, because hooking up with Scarlett would be weird on so many levels.
"How do you even drink in that thing?"
He startled, almost dropping the bottle in his hand and looking up at the guy standing next to him.
"Damn," Sebastian said on a laugh. "And here I thought Wolverine should be shorter."
Even though the majority of the guy's face was hidden behind a mask, a full mouth grinned back at him and Sebastian found himself shifting to the side on the couch when the stranger sat down next to him.
"You're the first person I haven't had to explain the costume to," the guy said, patting Sebastian strongly on one shoulder.
"Well, when someone shows up in bright yellow and blue spandex, I'm sure it might raise a few eyebrows."
"I know! I was thinking of going down the Age of Apocalypse version but you know," the guy said, holding up his hands and the fake claws protruding from them. "I thought amputation might be a bit of a overkill."
"I like overkill," Sebastian said, blushing under his hood at the lame response.
"You would," the guy said, laughing. "But really, how do drink in that thing?"
"Says the one with huge ass claws on his hands," Sebastian pointed out, dryly. "And I barely do drink. Actually its got an opening for a straw but I lose all my cool points if I sip beer with a straw."
To his surprise, conversation flowed easily between them and Sebastian forgot all about his beer, he and Wolverine doing nothing but trade comic book trivia for a solid hour before a rather tipsy Lizzy suddenly landed on his lap.
"Seb, I made out with Green Lantern," she said on a hiccup.
"You what?" Sebastian and Wolverine said as one, just as the Green Lantern in question turned up beside them, green costume highlighted by smooth dark skin.
"It was a lapse of judgement," Green Lantern said, holding up his hands in defence. "Not that you're not hot, because you are, but you know…"
"That will never happen again," Lizzy answered.
"Absolutely not," Lantern agreed and pointed towards Wolverine. "And you, why weren't you around to stop me from making out with hot girls, you're a bad bro!"
"I...don't even know how to respond to that," Wolverine said, tilting his head to the side. "This is not usually how the wingman thing goes."
Green Lantern glared at his friend before turning to Lizzy once more.
"From now on, I shall drool over you in completely platonic sort of way. Also, I'm sad we got no chemistry. Ah, well. I need more beer."
And with that he turned around and stumbled, away, leaving Sebastian to look back and forth between Lizzy and Wolverine in utter confusion.
"I might need to go check on him," Wolverine said with a sigh. "I'll see you in a bit."
He was gone before Sebastian could even ask him about his name and to his annoyance they didn't meet up again for the rest of the night.
Chris
"I am your best friend," Antony said as he walked into Chris' dorm room without knocking, Paul right on his heels. "Just say it."
Chris looked up from the homework he had been focusing on, raising an eyebrow to Paul in question.
"You might as well say it," Paul agreed. "Because you really want the information he has for you. We can discuss friendship positions later."
Closing the book, Chris stood up, raising an eyebrow, but of course Mackie didn't say anything, instead just waited, with a smirk on his lips.
"Fine. Mackie Mackie, you're my best friend. Now please tell me what you know or get out of my room," Chris said, trying to sound stern but he couldn't help but grin at his friends antics.
"The girl I made out with? I met her again, her name is Elizabeth and she told me where your Deadpool lives."
Chris' mouth fell open, staring from Mackie to Paul and then back again.
"He lives over in the Stark building," Mackie explained. "And he's apparently into guys. I think you should, you know, maybe talk to him? Unless you're still hung up your pretty actor?"
And the thing was, Chris couldn't understand how he could be so fascinated with two people at once. But there had been something with Sebastian, both at the dance club and on the stage for Mad Hatter. On the other hand, he couldn't deny the ease with which he had spoken to the guy in the Deadpool costume, an easy conversation of shared likes and nerdy interests. One was someone he had spoken to, connected with, the other was just a fantasy.
"Yeah, I should. I mean, why not??" Chris said, nodding to himself.
"Then go," Mackie and Paul said as one.
"What, now? I can't just…"
Paul sighed and reached out to take Chris' blue leather jacket from the hook by the door and flung it at Chris, almost hitting him in the face if not for Chris' fast reflexes.
"If you plan to overthink this, you'll never go. So this is me, as your apparently second best friend, telling you to go, right now."
His friends knew him too well and Chris didn't even bother trying to argue what Paul was saying. He did have a tendency to maybe over think things, worrying until he'd gone through every possible scenario and some that might not be remotely possible at all. It didn't seem like his friends were about to let him think things through because Chris found himself pushed out of his own room and the door slammed in his face.
"Room 384!" Mackie called from inside. "We'll just stay here and play some FIFA so you can't come back. Good luck."
Chris stared at the closed door, not quite knowing what to say. In the end he shrugged into his jacket and started making his way across campus. He knew his friends too well and he was sure that if he didn't find the guy on his own terms, then he was sure that Paul and Mackie would find some embarrassing way for them to run into each other. It would still be embarrassing, though, Chris thought to himself as he walked outside and across the lawns and between old buildings. Just because he wanted to meet Deadpool again didn't mean the guy wanted to meet him. But it was worth a try, and if nothing else, then maybe Chris could get a nerdy friend from it because whomever Deadpool had been, the guy could give even Chris a run for his money when it came to comic trivia and movie quotes.
It wasn't a short walk over to the Stark building and Chris had to stop himself from running the last part of the way. Instead, he walked up the stairs to the main building and took then up to the third floor. Only then did he stop, staring down the corridor and wondering how on earth he would start the conversation. Luckily the corridor was empty so if things went completely south, there would be no one there to witness his utter humiliation. Slowly he made his way down the corridor, stopping outside room 384 and raising his hand, hesitating to knock and he mumbled quietly to himself.
"Hey, you have no idea who I am but we've spoken. I was Wolverine. No, that sounds lame. I'm such a meatball, this will not go well. Hell, you were Deadpool and...of course you were. You know you were. Mackie, I will kill you."
"You were Wolverine?" a voice said behind him, making Chris spin around and his mouth drop open in shock. "That's...wow, I had no idea how to find you. How did you find me? I mean, not that I mind. It's awesome and-"
"You're Sebastian!" Chris blurted out, staring at the guy standing in front of him, Starbucks cup in hand and an oversized Captain America t-shirt hanging over worn jeans.
Sebastian
Wolverine had found him, and the guy whom Sebastian had felt such an instant connection with wasn't only nice and clearly interested, he was also the hottest guy Sebastian had ever seen. And he knew Sebastian's name.
"Wait, how do you know my name?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh shit," the guy said. "Fuck.Sorry. This will sound totally stalkery but I saw your play? I'm from the college newspaper and I did a review and wow. You're Deadpool?"
"Chris?" Sebastian said, remembering the name of the guy that had done the review. "Really? Your review was amazing, thank you. I don't know what to say, no one has ever said such nice things about my acting before and wow, this is really awkward. Come inside?"
He fumbled slightly with the key before managing to get the door open and Chris ended up taking the Starbucks cup from him to keep Sebastian from dropping it to the floor. Once inside Sebastian quickly looked around, breathing a soft sigh of relief when he saw that his room was mostly presentable.
"You're never gonna believe this," Chris said slowly, handing Sebastian's cup of coffee goodness back to him. "I saw you before the play. At The Arc, you were dancing with two girls and you were...well, really damn hot. And then I saw you at the play and I might have had a small crush. But then I met Deadpool, well, you, and I figured...here's this real guy I really connected with and now you're the same. It's just, is it my birthday?"
Sebastian knew he was blushing, but he couldn't help but smile at the rambling words and he was surprised that Chris hadn't tripped over his own tongue considering how fast he'd been speaking.
"I don't know," Sebastian said, unable to hide the smile. "Is it? But really, I'm...I really wanted to meet you. Well, Wolverine. But that's you, so yes, I wanted to meet you and just… I didn't expect this."
"This?" Chris asked, head tilted to the side and a curious look on his face.
"This. You," Sebastian explained. "You, looking like this. You're kinda...really hot."
Chris didn't answer, instead he once more took the cup of coffee out of Sebastian's hand and put it on his cluttered desk. Sebastian felt his breath catch in his lungs and his heart beating faster when Chris moved closer.
"If you don't want this, please say something now," Chris said quietly.
Instead Sebastian took a step forward, closing the distance between them and the next moment, Chris' mouth covered his in a soft kiss. Even though he'd been expecting it, Sebastian found himself letting out a small gasp and Chris wasted no time slipping his tongue in between Sebastian's lips. The kiss was sweet and exploring, lips and tongues sliding together and Sebastian lifted one hand to press against Chris's cheek, feeling the light stubble there.
"Mmm," Chris said as they pulled apart. "I'm very happy I found you."
"Same," Sebastian agreed. "And I was...planning to maybe watch Deadpool? I mean, if you wanna watch it together?"
Chris smiled and nodded.
Sebastian's coffee was left forgotten, and although the movie was playing on his computer, propped up on the desk, neither of them were doing much watching. They had both seen the movie before and Sebastian was much more interested in exploring soft kisses with Chris in between murmured attempts at getting to know each other.
The end