@mercury


After meeting with Mercury, Derek went on the internet to see what he could find out about him. After doing some light research, the twenty-year-old mutant discovered that the man that he'd been talking to was famous! Derek couldn't believe it How was he attracting all of these successful, gorgeous men?! Honestly, Derek didn't know, but at some point, he was sure that he was going to find out. Before his date with Mercury which was in a couple of hours, Derek made sure to get himself freshen up, he scrubbed his ebony body with cedarwood scented body wash, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and lotioned himself down with cocoa butter lotion for the second time that day. Deciding to put on the clothes he bought that day, put on a fresh green polo shirt, khakis, black dress shoes, and a black blazer one. 

When Mercury sent him the text message of where his location was, Derek ordered the town car at the bottom of the Honeycomb Co-Op. He jogged down the stairs, nearly taking poor Jude (Jude) down with him. "Sorry, sorry!" God, he would have to make up for that later. 


Derek finally made it down to the ground floor and told the driver where to go. However, before he went to the hotel, he went to a nearby florist and bought five bound lavender stems. After that, he got back in and headed to the Hotel. 

God, it was fancy. He slowly got out with the bundle of lavender and called Mercury, 

"...Hey, I'm outside. This is a very nice hotel..." Derek said with awe in his voice.

There were times when dressing up came easily, and then there were times when he just couldn't decide. This was one of the latter. To the point where he couldn't even decide if he wanted to go masc or fem or gender****. He could get laid if he wanted to so scaring off a cutie -

Problem solved! And now that that roadblock was crossed, it was a simple matter of spreading clothes from half a dozen suitcases across his suite so that he could better view and decide on matching pieces. He sat in the middle of the chaos with a lazy coil of water, using it as a third hand to flip discards into a general pile. He'd tip housekeeping to put it all away while he was gone, maybe flirt with them a bit and chat about their personal lives if they crossed paths long enough and were willing.

Eventually, Mercury narrowed his selection down, and set about arranging himself. All the cleaning stuff (so much easier when he was already using water, as long as he remembered to heat it up before washing sensitive areas) and minty fragrance applications, stray water collected into his high-affinity coil. His hair was a bit of work since he was doing it himself, but he had plenty of practice. Calling in his stylist to help him get ready for a date was officially a no-no, and making one's stylist sulky was about as bad an idea as making one's publicist sulky. Possibly more so; pictures really stuck around. So he got it done, all French braids on the sides that then coiled into a roselike bun.

It was a good thing he started early, because it took nearly two hours of undoing and redoing. He had standards.

Those standards also included glitter, dusted along his plaited hair and dabbed tastefully along his collarbones and eyebrows, because what was life without glitter? A touch of eyeshadow, deep blue to complement his hair, a brush of eyeliner, a minty, translucent blue lip gloss. One of his best-fitting collared shirts, two-toned royal blue and indigo, throat left carefully-carelessly open and hem neatly tucked into an equally royal blue high-waisted skirt, all mid-thigh ruffles in the front and flowing ankle-length layers in the back, alternating the outer glossy blue with subtly rippled indigo and silver thread. Fresh tights gave his contoured legs a subtle blue sheen, more of a shadow amongst the straps of his black gladiator sandals - complete with three inch heels.

And then there were accessories, except his phone was buzzing angrily from the toilet where he'd had it charging and playing music while he showered and prettied up, and his date was already here and he had to hurry.

"I'm glad you found it okay! I'll be right down! Just finishing up here."

Okay okay okay, the wide belt in black and silver to cover the line between shirt and skirt, too hot for a jacket so thigh holster for his credit card and ID and door fob and phone, smart watch for one arm and just a quick few silver braid bangles for the other. Okay okay, was that everything? Note for housekeeping - nope, he needed to get downstairs, he'd just let the desk know and they'd handle it. They were great for that. Okay!

Mercury left his chaotic suite behind and swept into the hallway. It was, as fancy hotels go, a very nice and bland and quiet hallway, and it gave him enough time to settle into the heels before he got to the elevator. Where he sent a series of smiling and teasing emoticons to Derek.

Then the doors were open and he was in the lobby. A quick stop at the desk to put in his housekeeping request (and promise of tip) and then he was out the front doors, eyes bright and cheeks warm with subdued excitement as he sought out his date.

"Ok, take your time." And with that, Derek hung up the phone.

Now with knowing who Mercury was, he knew that he had to make this date turn out well.

Derek was about to pocket his phone started to buzz. He looked down to check to see what Mercury sent him and blushed. With quick strokes of his fingers, Derek sent a couple of inappropriate emojis back to his date to amp up the ante. Heh, checkmate.

When Mercury walked out of the hotel, Derek didn't recognize him at first. He was looking for a man wearing men clothing after all. Though, when he glanced up, his warm brown eyes landed on what looked to be Mercury's face. With further studying and eye squinting, he noticed that it was, in fact, his date.

"Mercury!" Derek called a bit nervously, lifting his right hand and waving. Well, this was a surprise. Derek didn't think that Mercury was transgender. Or was he genderfluid? Derek didn't know, but he was sure as hell going to find out.

Derek started walking toward his date with a smile on his face. Once he was close, he handed the bundle of lavender to Mercury and smiled. "You look beautiful," Derek gave him a snug hug, wrapping his arms around his waist before pulling away. "Are you ready, superstar?"

Well, if he'd thought his date might be shy, Mercury would be doubting himself now. He hadn't though, so he wasn't, and he didn't intend to! What was the point of hesitation and disguise and dishonesty? For him, there was none! No good ones, anyway. It might work for other people, in their own situations, but Mercury definitely went the route of 'put your real self out there and don't worry about being friends with the people who can't take it!' Although he liked having friends. But really he wasn't in short supply. Always space for more, but not lacking either!

And there he was, all easy-sharp in his blazer. And with flowers! Romantic, but not as stereotypical as roses. Well, well.

Mercury inhaled the lavender's scent deeply, his entire body relaxing fluidly as the rich sweetness filled his senses and then against Derek's delightfully warm arms, all the best of strength and softness. He opened his eyes, dark teal easily meeting Derek's warm brown. "You're pretty sharp yourself," he teased, voice soft and low in his throat. "And I absolutely am. I hope you enjoy the place I have in mind." Hah, in mind. The reservation was made; this was more planned than a whim. Which left space for other things to be in his mind.

Things which led to things like slipping his empty hand into Derek's and lifting it toward his lips. Rather than kissing it, though, he watched Derek with a faint smile. "Which way to your car, m'dear?" And maybe he would kiss Derek's hand, if his date looked like disappointed that he hadn't. Consent and all that.

"You're pretty sharp yourself,

"Thank you," Derek blushed and looked down at his shoes, then back up at Mercury's face.

[/i]"And I absolutely am. I hope you enjoy the place I have in mind."[/i]

I'm sure with you, I'll enjoy it. By what I've learned about you, you're very high maintance," he chuckled and looked back over his shoulder at the town car, then back at Mercury. He wanted to make sure that it was still there. The kiss to Derek's hand made the darker skinned mutant blush. "...Maybe you're parents should've named you 'Cupid'."

"Which way to your car, m'dear?"

Derek smiled and nodded his head, "this way," he jerked his head over his shoulder and turned around. He led him to the black towncar and opened the door for Mercur, "good sir," the dark skinned tried his hardest not to let his eyes dip lower than Mercury's belt. Once he was inside the car, Derek jogged to the other side of the town car and got in. He looked over at Mercury and smiled, "I'm very excited."

Confident but still able to blush. Ah, sometimes Mercury just had the best luck! Although... Mercury clapped a hand to his chest. "High maintenance? High energy, maybe." He smirked. "I really am very easy going. Sometimes I just like to be pretty! And isn't Cupid a giant baby?" That was worth a pout as they headed toward Derek's car.

Mercury tucked his skirt around himself with practiced ease as he slid neatly into the car, beaming at Derek's chivalry, and then leaned forward to give the driver directions to the restaurant. Oh, when Derek saw it - especially the inside, since the outside was nice and all but really quite unassuming, and then when the food came out....!

And then his date was in the car as well, and Mercury leaned over, palm on the middle seat. "We aren't going far, just a few minutes if traffic behaves itself."

Derek chucked and shook his head, "sorry, sorry, 'high energy'." The mutant smiled more, liking the slap to his chest. Derek then responded to his second question, "and Cupid is depicted as a baby because he's considered one of the Erotes of Venus. He's a very handsome man. Son of the god Mars and Venus," Derek loved talking about mythology and he loved even more telling other people, "he's also the god of Erotic love and desire. He's married to the goddess of soul, Psyche."

"Alright," Derek smiled and touched his hand. He could feel his face get hot. "Thank you for goin' on a date with me, Mercury."

Good - Derek adjusted quickly. Mercury couldn't keep up a pout for long when he wasn't actually sad. It ran too close to dishonesty, and he really wasn't good at that. Not one bit. And that was fine, because honesty was good! Especially paired with tact. Tact wasn't dishonesty at all.

Although... Erotes of Venus? He knew two thirds of the words, but, well... high school had been a long way back and Mercury hadn't been to school since. Still, Derek looked happy, and that was the important part. Doubtless Mercury would run into some confusing terms if he were rambling about music and business and touring and hydrodynamics. He could quirk an eyebrow for something else, though. "Erotic love, huh? Dear Derek, have I been less than chaste?" A fleeting moment of clearly-mock horror, his fingers to his oh-so-shocked lips.

Then his expression settled into a softer curve. "Thanking me now? But we've all but just begun!"

>> "Erotic love, huh? Dear Derek, have I been less than chaste?"

Derek's face immediately came red, "W-wha?! N-no! I mean, yes! You have! You're just..." Derek groaned and shook his head. God, he hated when he became flustered. Whenever Derek got like that, he babbled like an idiot. "Just forget I said anythin'." He had to admit though that Mercury's "shocked" face was rather cute.

>> "Thanking me now? But we've all but just begun!"

"I know, but still. You could've said no." Derek shrugged his shoulders coyly and looked out the window. He chewed nervously on his bottom lip and studied the scenery that passed. As he did this, his hand slowly started to caress Mercury's hand.