Lenny is exceptionally charming - and handsome. And filthy. Jaskier would love him. He’s also married to a woman, even if it’s complicated. Lenny is able to come off as effortless and cool, despite many things in his life being deeply complicated.
“You as well,” Lenny replies with a smile that may or may not be flirting. “If you’re here with Midge tonight, I’m happy to make myself scarce.”
For once, Midge doesn’t have a quick response to that. “Oh, we’re… I guess we are here together, but we’re not…”
Lenny puts a hand up. “Say no more. Enjoy your dance. I’ll come find you again later on tonight.” He nods at Jaskier. “Again, nice to meet you,” he says before turning to go make himself busy elsewhere.
no worries at all, I'm just popcorning at all this
He just dropped the perfect opening for them to dance together and yet-- they aren't taking it? Jaskier is extremely confused.
"I'm also playing, so she can dance with whoever she pleas--"
Welp, nevermind, handsome and charming is gone. Jaskier stares for a second at his back (those pants are very well fit, damn) before turning to Midge with a mix of confusion and frustration. Curiosity and questions will take over soon, but for now-
"What the fuck was that?" He throws his hands in the air, clearly bewildered. "I served you the opportunity on a plate! Why didn't you ask him to dance?"
Midge looks at Jaskier, confusion in her eyes. “I thought you were coming over here to ask me to dance.”
He’s still trying to set her up with other men, which is a little bit hurtful to her. Midge had thought they were getting closer, that maybe he wouldn’t want to do that anymore.
“I’m here with you tonight,” she continues. “It’s only fair for me not to pick anyone else up either. Not that I was trying to pick Lenny up. He’s married. And it’s not like that.”
"I was, then I got closer and noticed how you two were eye-fucking."
His eyebrows go up when Midge says it's not like that, and he snorts. "You can't possibly expect me to believe that." There's something behind all this, and Jaskier is dying to know the full story. His hands fall on his hips, his head tilts again. "Where have you been hiding Tall And Handsome anyway?"
Midge is taken aback when Jaskier says he doesn’t believe that she and Lenny are just friends. “Why would I lie about that?” She asks. “I’m not hiding him. We run into each other sometimes at different clubs. Look, do you want to dance with me or not?”
She doesn’t want to have this conversation out in the open. The dance floor is a more intimate place to talk. Otherwise, she’s going to retreat back to the couch to regroup.
He hadn't been using hiding literally, but before he can clarify, Midge gets a bit... snappy at him. Well, damn. Eyebrows raising again, Jaskier takes a step back, unsure of what to make of this. He knows he's bumped into something big and important, yet he's having trouble putting the pieces together.
"I do," he replies. He offers his arm out of habit, but he still can't help but add-- "I'm not sure you do, though."
He doesn't sound angry or judgmental, just a tiny bit wary. The way she asked gave him the vibes of someone just putting up with the idea, but he may be reading too much into things. Jaskier is unsure of how to read this Midge.
“I did. I do.” Midge takes his arm and sighs deeply as they head to the dance floor. After getting into dance frame, Midge leans in closely so that she can speak quietly to him.
“As I said, he’s married. I don’t go out with married men.” Hopefully Jaskier won’t take that as a slight on his activities with married women, as it isn’t meant that way. “Is there something there? I don’t know. We’ve never explored it, but I also can’t. He’s in the comedy scene, and he’s more successful than me. If I’m going to be successful in this business, I want it to be on my own merits, not based on who I’ve slept with. I won’t go out with anyone who’s a comedian, or an agent, or a scheduling manager… no one. I don’t want anyone to ever accuse me of not earning whatever success I have.”
If she sounds vehement, it’s because she feels very strongly about this.
That sigh says a thousand words. Jaskier still doesn't know what he did, but that sigh kills him, so he holds her close while they dance and makes sure to listen to every word. He still snorts when she asks if there's something there - how can she not see it?
"I think you deserve all the success you have. I think you deserve more," he immediately answers, because he means it. "Agents and managers, I understand. And respect it - it's a laudable personal policy to have. But other artists?" He shakes his head, baffled by that one.
His mouth opens only to close again, realizing there's no point in poking too much at this if Lenny is married. Jaskier falls silent after that. He knows that sooner or later, he'll lose Midge (as a lover, at least) to another man, and that's okay - he'll miss her, but he wants her to be happy. However, the idea that he could possibly lose her just by getting a big contract bothers him a lot.
“Other comedians,” she clarifies. “I would never want someone to feel obligated to book me because of who I’m fucking.” If she slept with someone as famous as Lenny? She would automatically become ‘Lenny’s girl’. His less funny girlfriend. She would fade into the background.
Midge sighs again and decides that she probably ought to be honest. “I like him. We play off of each other well. His marriage seems strained…” She shakes her head. “We’re better off as friends.”
She tentatively lays her head on Jaskier’s shoulder, wondering if he’s going to tell her to pick it up. “You were so quick to send me off with him.”
"And you don't think bookings out of obligation would happen with other famous artists?"
His tone isn't accusatory, just baffled. He just can't follow her logic. At least she admits she likes Lenny, Jaskier was starting to feel insulted by her denying it. He can't help but wonder if she really thinks they're better off as friends, or it's something she tells herself to avoid heartbreak. Gods, divorce is such an useful thing, why do people avoid it so much?
Her head on his shoulder doesn't bother him (the opposite in fact), but her comment does. The conversation outside her apartment echoes in his mind. Can you?
"You two were eye-fucking," he replies as if it had been the most obvious thing in the world. "For a minute I thought he could've been your second instead of Benjamin."
"I won't tell the published writers you were chatting with earlier that you said that." His tone is clearly teasing. Except for Lenny, nobody here is big. Those writers got their first book published and are just starting, or have self-published.
Jaskier sighs. Back to the denial it is, huh? "He's married, I get it, alright? There's no bringing him to the apartment, as lovely as that would've been." He would've loved a piece of that. "You're still allowed to enjoy a dance with him. Or anyone here. I'm not 'sending you off'."
Midge is going to guess that he means the Midtown apartment, not her apartment. She’s not going to comment on that because she doesn’t even want Jaskier to get that idea in his head. Because honestly, Midge’s worry is that if Lenny was asked if he wanted to have a threesome with them, his answer might actually be yes. Midge doesn’t want to have a threesome, especially not with two men that she has feelings for. She’ll never be able to fully divorce sex from feelings like Jaskier is able to do.
“It felt like it,” she murmurs, then picks her head up off of his shoulder so that she can look at him. “If he asks me to dance, I’ll probably say yes. It’s just a dance. You just… seemed so eager to be rid of me.”
It was like whiplash after how loving he seemed earlier when it felt like he was singing love songs just for her.
Jaskier stares at her for a second and sighs again. This isn't connected to their usual talks, not technically, yet it feels like it.
Can you?
Like they're always dancing around the same subject and cowardly pushing it away.
Can you?
Just like he was patient for years with Geralt, he reminds himself to repeat the process here, considering what Joel has put her through. He kisses her forehead and nuzzles her hair, hoping it provides comfort.
"I believe I said it multiple times, and I'll keep repeating it: I don't keep around anything or anyone that I don't like. If I had wanted to get rid of you, you would've known. I don't. Your texts brighten my day. What I'm eager about is seeing you go out there and enjoy life. I wish I could've taken a picture of you blushing at the poet on his knees. It was very cute."
The physical affection does give her some comfort and she doesn’t feel as bereft as she did. Midge knows what he said earlier about keeping people that he likes around. Sometimes she wonders what he likes though - her or the sex.
A smile crosses her face when he mentions the poet. “That was sweet. I wasn’t expecting anything like that.”
At least she's smiling again. Jaskier still can't help but look around, as if waiting for Lenny to cut in to ask her for a dance. Which would be fine with him, yet he wonders if it won't send Midge into an emotional spiral. Dammit, this evening was supposed to be carefree and fun.
"That's how inspiring you are," he teases. "If you want your portrait done, I bet many a painter wouldn't mind having you as a model."
"Tonight is about sketches and quick inspiration. They won't mind if you're writing or chatting with anyone else." He gasps when he hears about the dwarf. "Perdita is--? Oh, that silly woman, she's been keeping that from me!" But he sounds delighted and very happy for her. "Please, go, make a new friend. I'll cuddle you later." He kisses the corner of her mouth before walking away.
The band wonders if he'll join them for some improvisation and he assures them that he will, he just needs a quick stop by the toilet first. It isn't until he's washing his hands that he notices Lenny leaning against the wall - it seems he's been waiting until they're alone. Fuck, that can't be good.
Jaskier keeps his charming smile up while fixing his hair in front of the mirror, pretending this is like any other time a handsome man approaches him in the bathroom. "I know I'm so pretty that I seem to take over the whole mirror, but I promise there's enough room for both of us." A stupid comment to break the ice, since he's so unsure of what Lenny may want.
“I don’t make a habit of meeting men like this,” Lenny says as he approaches the mirror next to Jaskier, “but I hope you won’t mind, as I wanted to talk about our mutual friend. I’ll buy you a drink?”
'Not a habit' doesn't equal 'never', so Jaskier can't help raising an eyebrow. If Lenny hadn't mentioned Midge, he would totally be wondering if this is a very intricate way for a closeted man to try to flirt.
He is friendly, so this talk is already ten thousand times better than Abe's. But to be fair, Jaskier knows how to stay charming in tense situations, too. As worried as he may be, though, his curiosity is stronger. He wants to learn more about them and whatever the hell is happening here. Also, he likes hanging out with charming, handsome men - sue him.
"Consider me intrigued," he answers with a nod.
Soon, Jaskier is leaning against the bar and sipping another beer. He watches Lenny closely, both trying to understand what he feels through body language, but also just admiring how pretty he is.
"Thank you for coming, by the way. It means a lot for the little artists to have such support."
Lenny leans next to him with a beer of his own and lights a cigarette.
“I’ve come a few times,” Lenny replies. “I like seeing what other artists are doing, especially in New York. These days, I spend a lot of time in California, where people are far more pretentious, but far less talented.”
He blows a plume of smoke away from Jaskier’s face. Both men’s eyes search for Midge in the club, finding her sitting at a table with Perdita looking over a page of the dwarf’s jokes.
Jaskier wrinkles his nose at the cigarette and waves his hand to keep the smoke away, but he does laugh at Lenny's joke. Fuck, it's so hard not to flirt with him.
"Are the famous beaches pretentious too?" he can't help but ask. He's heard about California and the whole Los Angeles thing; he's been curious about it.
He smiles at the sight of Midge and Perdita getting along. It makes him happy to see his girls having fun and making friends, it's what they deserve. When Lenny speaks, though, Jaskier keeps his eyes on him, not wanting to miss any detail.
"I haven't been keeping track. Two months, give it or take?"
“Not a smoker?” It’s surprising, since most people smoke, but Lenny will try to keep the smoke away from him.
“California definitely has New York beat when it comes to beaches,” Lenny says. “The weather is beautiful out there.”
He glances back at Jaskier. “Not very long, then. We’ve known each other for about two years. We run in some of the same circles. Before you came up to us, she was all smiles when she told me about her friend who had brought her here tonight. She was excited to introduce us.”
"I'm a singer. I must protect my throat and lungs. I'll stick to alcohol and mushrooms, thank you very much." He takes another sip of his beer to make his point.
California does sound nice for at least a vacation, and Jaskier makes a mental note to at least stop by portal sometime.
"I was excited to introduce her to my friends, too," he replies, still unsure of where this is going. But it does feel nice to know that Midge talks about him - he never knows how 'hidden' she keeps him among her friends. A little smile reaches his lips. "Did I make such a bad first impression that you had to escape?" He keeps his tone joking, but it's his discreet way to try to learn what happened.
Lenny shrugs; that’s fair enough. “Mushrooms put me into a stupor. I can’t do those if I have somewhere to be. Are you a good singer?” Most people know if they’re actually any good or not, don’t they?
“No, no, nothing like that,” Lenny continues. “It was when you suggested that she and I dance. Have you ever watched all of the air slowly leave a balloon? And then it just kind of flops over dead? That’s what I felt like I was watching.
Look, I don’t know what sort of relationship the two of you have, nor is it my business. I don’t want to speak out of turn either. But I’ve known Midge for a while, and I’ve never seen her react that way before. It just made sense to excuse myself.”
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Again apologies for probably a horrible portrayal on my part lol
“You as well,” Lenny replies with a smile that may or may not be flirting. “If you’re here with Midge tonight, I’m happy to make myself scarce.”
For once, Midge doesn’t have a quick response to that. “Oh, we’re… I guess we are here together, but we’re not…”
Lenny puts a hand up. “Say no more. Enjoy your dance. I’ll come find you again later on tonight.” He nods at Jaskier. “Again, nice to meet you,” he says before turning to go make himself busy elsewhere.
no worries at all, I'm just popcorning at all this
He just dropped the perfect opening for them to dance together and yet-- they aren't taking it? Jaskier is extremely confused.
"I'm also playing, so she can dance with whoever she pleas--"
Welp, nevermind, handsome and charming is gone. Jaskier stares for a second at his back (those pants are very well fit, damn) before turning to Midge with a mix of confusion and frustration. Curiosity and questions will take over soon, but for now-
"What the fuck was that?" He throws his hands in the air, clearly bewildered. "I served you the opportunity on a plate! Why didn't you ask him to dance?"
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He’s still trying to set her up with other men, which is a little bit hurtful to her. Midge had thought they were getting closer, that maybe he wouldn’t want to do that anymore.
“I’m here with you tonight,” she continues. “It’s only fair for me not to pick anyone else up either. Not that I was trying to pick Lenny up. He’s married. And it’s not like that.”
Again. It’s complicated.
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His eyebrows go up when Midge says it's not like that, and he snorts. "You can't possibly expect me to believe that." There's something behind all this, and Jaskier is dying to know the full story. His hands fall on his hips, his head tilts again. "Where have you been hiding Tall And Handsome anyway?"
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She doesn’t want to have this conversation out in the open. The dance floor is a more intimate place to talk. Otherwise, she’s going to retreat back to the couch to regroup.
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"I do," he replies. He offers his arm out of habit, but he still can't help but add-- "I'm not sure you do, though."
He doesn't sound angry or judgmental, just a tiny bit wary. The way she asked gave him the vibes of someone just putting up with the idea, but he may be reading too much into things. Jaskier is unsure of how to read this Midge.
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“As I said, he’s married. I don’t go out with married men.” Hopefully Jaskier won’t take that as a slight on his activities with married women, as it isn’t meant that way. “Is there something there? I don’t know. We’ve never explored it, but I also can’t. He’s in the comedy scene, and he’s more successful than me. If I’m going to be successful in this business, I want it to be on my own merits, not based on who I’ve slept with. I won’t go out with anyone who’s a comedian, or an agent, or a scheduling manager… no one. I don’t want anyone to ever accuse me of not earning whatever success I have.”
If she sounds vehement, it’s because she feels very strongly about this.
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"I think you deserve all the success you have. I think you deserve more," he immediately answers, because he means it. "Agents and managers, I understand. And respect it - it's a laudable personal policy to have. But other artists?" He shakes his head, baffled by that one.
His mouth opens only to close again, realizing there's no point in poking too much at this if Lenny is married. Jaskier falls silent after that. He knows that sooner or later, he'll lose Midge (as a lover, at least) to another man, and that's okay - he'll miss her, but he wants her to be happy. However, the idea that he could possibly lose her just by getting a big contract bothers him a lot.
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Midge sighs again and decides that she probably ought to be honest. “I like him. We play off of each other well. His marriage seems strained…” She shakes her head. “We’re better off as friends.”
She tentatively lays her head on Jaskier’s shoulder, wondering if he’s going to tell her to pick it up. “You were so quick to send me off with him.”
It hurt.
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His tone isn't accusatory, just baffled. He just can't follow her logic. At least she admits she likes Lenny, Jaskier was starting to feel insulted by her denying it. He can't help but wonder if she really thinks they're better off as friends, or it's something she tells herself to avoid heartbreak. Gods, divorce is such an useful thing, why do people avoid it so much?
Her head on his shoulder doesn't bother him (the opposite in fact), but her comment does. The conversation outside her apartment echoes in his mind. Can you?
"You two were eye-fucking," he replies as if it had been the most obvious thing in the world. "For a minute I thought he could've been your second instead of Benjamin."
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She huffs lightly. “I don’t think we were doing that, Jaskier. Even if I do like him, even if he did like me, it’s not that simple.”
Besides, Midge knows that she would rather be with Jaskier anyway.
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Jaskier sighs. Back to the denial it is, huh? "He's married, I get it, alright? There's no bringing him to the apartment, as lovely as that would've been." He would've loved a piece of that. "You're still allowed to enjoy a dance with him. Or anyone here. I'm not 'sending you off'."
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“It felt like it,” she murmurs, then picks her head up off of his shoulder so that she can look at him. “If he asks me to dance, I’ll probably say yes. It’s just a dance. You just… seemed so eager to be rid of me.”
It was like whiplash after how loving he seemed earlier when it felt like he was singing love songs just for her.
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Can you?
Like they're always dancing around the same subject and cowardly pushing it away.
Can you?
Just like he was patient for years with Geralt, he reminds himself to repeat the process here, considering what Joel has put her through. He kisses her forehead and nuzzles her hair, hoping it provides comfort.
"I believe I said it multiple times, and I'll keep repeating it: I don't keep around anything or anyone that I don't like. If I had wanted to get rid of you, you would've known. I don't. Your texts brighten my day. What I'm eager about is seeing you go out there and enjoy life. I wish I could've taken a picture of you blushing at the poet on his knees. It was very cute."
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A smile crosses her face when he mentions the poet. “That was sweet. I wasn’t expecting anything like that.”
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"That's how inspiring you are," he teases. "If you want your portrait done, I bet many a painter wouldn't mind having you as a model."
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When the song, and thus their dance, ends, Midge steps out of Jaskier’s embrace.
“Perdita asked me to listen to a few of her jokes and help her tweak them to make them funnier,” she says. “I’ll meet you on the couch later?”
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The band wonders if he'll join them for some improvisation and he assures them that he will, he just needs a quick stop by the toilet first. It isn't until he's washing his hands that he notices Lenny leaning against the wall - it seems he's been waiting until they're alone. Fuck, that can't be good.
Jaskier keeps his charming smile up while fixing his hair in front of the mirror, pretending this is like any other time a handsome man approaches him in the bathroom. "I know I'm so pretty that I seem to take over the whole mirror, but I promise there's enough room for both of us." A stupid comment to break the ice, since he's so unsure of what Lenny may want.
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His demeanor is friendly and non-threatening.
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He is friendly, so this talk is already ten thousand times better than Abe's. But to be fair, Jaskier knows how to stay charming in tense situations, too. As worried as he may be, though, his curiosity is stronger. He wants to learn more about them and whatever the hell is happening here. Also, he likes hanging out with charming, handsome men - sue him.
"Consider me intrigued," he answers with a nod.
Soon, Jaskier is leaning against the bar and sipping another beer. He watches Lenny closely, both trying to understand what he feels through body language, but also just admiring how pretty he is.
"Thank you for coming, by the way. It means a lot for the little artists to have such support."
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“I’ve come a few times,” Lenny replies. “I like seeing what other artists are doing, especially in New York. These days, I spend a lot of time in California, where people are far more pretentious, but far less talented.”
He blows a plume of smoke away from Jaskier’s face. Both men’s eyes search for Midge in the club, finding her sitting at a table with Perdita looking over a page of the dwarf’s jokes.
“How long have you known Midge?” Lenny asks.
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"Are the famous beaches pretentious too?" he can't help but ask. He's heard about California and the whole Los Angeles thing; he's been curious about it.
He smiles at the sight of Midge and Perdita getting along. It makes him happy to see his girls having fun and making friends, it's what they deserve. When Lenny speaks, though, Jaskier keeps his eyes on him, not wanting to miss any detail.
"I haven't been keeping track. Two months, give it or take?"
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“California definitely has New York beat when it comes to beaches,” Lenny says. “The weather is beautiful out there.”
He glances back at Jaskier. “Not very long, then. We’ve known each other for about two years. We run in some of the same circles. Before you came up to us, she was all smiles when she told me about her friend who had brought her here tonight. She was excited to introduce us.”
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California does sound nice for at least a vacation, and Jaskier makes a mental note to at least stop by portal sometime.
"I was excited to introduce her to my friends, too," he replies, still unsure of where this is going. But it does feel nice to know that Midge talks about him - he never knows how 'hidden' she keeps him among her friends. A little smile reaches his lips. "Did I make such a bad first impression that you had to escape?" He keeps his tone joking, but it's his discreet way to try to learn what happened.
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“No, no, nothing like that,” Lenny continues. “It was when you suggested that she and I dance. Have you ever watched all of the air slowly leave a balloon? And then it just kind of flops over dead? That’s what I felt like I was watching.
Look, I don’t know what sort of relationship the two of you have, nor is it my business. I don’t want to speak out of turn either. But I’ve known Midge for a while, and I’ve never seen her react that way before. It just made sense to excuse myself.”
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