>>”Oh, you’re welcome,”

Javier could sense that Booker was hesitation about the conversation, so he decided to keep working on the shirt while his friend figured out what exactly he was trying to say. It was a lot easier when someone was not staring at you, wondering where you were trying to go. But at least he had managed to give Booker a decent indication that he was single, and that he was bi. Or at least, so he hoped. The sewing machine made a whirring noise, until the next seam was done.

>>”Yeah my last girlfriend was not familiar with the scene but she seemed to get into it… …last boyfriend... He definitely didn’t like it. Probably shouldn’t have taken that as a sign that we were going to broke up, eh?”

It seemed like the two of them had more in common than Javi had thought. Booker had boyfriends and girlfriends, so he was also bi, or pan, or... some other sexuality that involved boyfriends and girlfriends. Javier would have been lying to himself if he said he was not glad to find out. Also, Booker was not talking about anyone in the present tense. It was telling that Javier felt relief mostly because that meant he did not have to have an awkward introduction to a significant other. He did not always get along as easily with significant others than he did with the people who were his friends in the first place.

He had only told Booker a half truth, though. The full truth was that not even in college did he really have a boyfriend or a girlfriend... none that stuck, anyway. The closest he got to a relationship was his... thing with Jack, who somehow managed to be a person he fully trusted, and occasionally was intimate with in the past. But as far as dating went...

"Couples that cosplay together, huh" he chuckled when the sewing was finished, and got up from the machine.

"Okay, you can try this on" he held the shirt out to Booker "It should be a snug fit... I tried to push the limits to see if it would... look the way it looks in the picture. This is just a test, for the fabric, to see how you can move in it, and how tight it needs to be." Given Booker's physique, the looks were probably not going to be a problem, but the movement might. "And if you get stuck, we can just r... cut it off, no harm done."

He didn’t have to go into it. That was much was true. His personal business was his personal business and there was no need to have to let Javier know his “situation”. And yet the words just slipped out. Of course he didn’t outright say that he was single, but instead just let the information drop as he informed Javier of the fact that both his ex-lovers had cosplay experiences with him. He meant it more as an explanation that couples often cosplayed together, hence his inviting Javier’s phantom other half if he had one. When he mentioned that he didn’t, Booker couldn’t help but reveal as well.

Juliette seemed a bit into it but she had only done one cosplay with him and it could be a bit much for your first time. Chris, well, he was a **** and though he went with Booker to conventions (usually in extremely tight “nerd” shirts to show off his abs) he really wasn’t into them and didn’t understand why the librarian put so much work into his outfits. Really Booker was just trying to convey that people tend to dress together -- not that he was completely free and single right now.

Javier seemed to blush at the idea but still offered Booker a kindly smile.

>>"Couples that cosplay together, huh"

He smirked and shrugged his shoulders. ”It’s been known to happen,” he replied. ”Pretty fun too. Sometimes couples get super creative.” He laughed. ”There was this one couple who went around dressed as Flying Fox’s murdered parents.” A grin and a shake of his head followed. ”Whenever they saw someone dressed as Flying Fox, they would shout his name and run up to him and then fall dead at the cosplayer’s feet.”

Cosplayers were usually a fun lot. That much was true.

Booker got off the subject of the convention, though. He didn’t want to sell it too hard to Javier, in case the man really didn’t want to go. Being socially anxious had it’s pitfalls, especially when it comes to needing to be out in public. He didn’t want to inadvertently make Javier agree to go just because he kept persisting. So he decided to drop the matter and just wait for instructions as to what to do next.

>>"Okay, you can try this on...It should be a snug fit... I tried to push the limits to see if it would... look the way it looks in the picture. This is just a test, for the fabric, to see how you can move in it, and how tight it needs to be."

Booker stood up, grinning wide at the shirt that Javier managed to whip up. It was by no means perfection but it was, as Javier said, just a test to see how the material fit. He nodded understandingly as he took it in hand. The material was light and smooth to the touch. He ran his fingers over it briefly, looking at the seams, the color, and agreeing with his earlier judgement that it was fairly close to its comic counterpart. This would actually look pretty amazing if it worked out.

>>"And if you get stuck, we can just r... cut it off, no harm done."

He blinked and chuckled. ”Sounds good.” He honestly wanted to comment on Javier’s words, proclaiming them to be a come on of sorts, but the last thing he wanted was to make the poor guys face explode from embarrassment. So he kept the comment to himself and turned around, shirt in hand.

Booker didn’t bother to ask if there was a changing or restroom around. He was just putting on a shirt, after all, and the man certainly wasn’t shy. So, he easily pulled off his regular t-shirt, exposing his light skin to the cool air of the tailor shop. Javier would only see the librarian’s back but, even that would have been sufficient to reveal the results of the librarian’s workout regime. He must have lifted a lot of heavy books. But just as he was exposed, it was covered again as he pulled on the shirt that Javier had just crafted for him. He rolled it down over his chest and, as predicted, it modeled to his strong torso. He turned around, revealing the second skin that he wore and offered Javier proud smile. It was tight but it seemed do able.

”You’re right about it being tight,” Booker said with a chuckle. He flexed and moved in the shirt. ”It fits, but kinda just barely?” He turned, feeling the fabric bend with him. ”Maybe a smidge looser so my circulation doesn’t get cut off.”

He started to pull the shirt off but found that the reverse route was seemingly more difficult. Booker winced, trying to roll the shirt up, little caring that he was facing Javier this time. But, just as he managed to get the shirt up to his pectorals, he found that further movement had ceased. So, there he stood, a super tight, bunched up shirt, wrapped around his pectorals and head, awkwardly pinning his arms up and helpless. He sighed. This was getting more and more embarrassing.

He turned to Javier, at least he thought he did since he couldn’t see, and meekly called out. ”Um…” his muffled voice started. ”Little help?”

Couples worked best if they could do things together - or, in Javier's limited experience, if they could do silly things together. For someone who took a long time to warm up and relax around people, the idea of doing something fun and silly without feeling embarrassed was the marker of a good (theoretical) relationship.

>>”It’s been known to happen. Pretty fun too. Sometimes couples get super creative. There was this one couple who went around dressed as Flying Fox’s murdered parents. Whenever they saw someone dressed as Flying Fox, they would shout his name and run up to him and then fall dead at the cosplayer’s feet.”

Javier laughed at the idea. "That's... horrible" he chuckled, shaking his head "But funny..." Case in point. Creativity and people who were having fun in their element.

He handed the shirt to Booker for trying on. Booker seemed excited to do so; he shed his nerdy t-shirt on the spot, simply turning his back at Javier. Javi did not know where to look. He didn't want to do a full turn and seem like overly prudish; but he also really did not want to stare at Booker half naked. So he averted his eyes and fiddled with his own shirt sleeves, catching glances from the corner of his eyes to see when Booker was done with putting the test costume on.

>>”You’re right about it being tight... It fits, but kinda just barely? Maybe a smidge looser so my circulation doesn’t get cut off.”

Well... it did fit. It left nothing to the imagination, really, sitting snugly around Booker's torso and lining his abs and his chest, but yes, technically, it did fit. Booker moved around and flexed, and Javier focused on the material shifting. He made mental notes on where the seams had to be done a little differently, to allow more movement instead of accidentally ripping. "Yes, we can do better for the real thing." All in all, Booker really looked like he could be an actual superhero. If he had any powers, that is... And if he did, shedding a shirt was not really one of them.

>>”Um… Little help?”

Javier chuckled a little, amused at how Booker got halfway stuck, then reminded himself that it was not polite to laugh at someone in a desperate situation, even if it was funny, and sort of self-inflicted. He stepped up to Booker, taking in the tangled shirt, and decided that trying to pull it off was going to be too awkward, and possibly accident-prone. So he reached up to catch a seam, and pulled... but the material, being flexible, did not budge to the attempt. Javier clicked his tongue in annoyance. Sure, his powers were not usually very useful when he was anxious, which he definitely was, so close to a (mostly) shirtless Booker in such an awkward way, but really, not even enough strength to rip a seam? Pathetic.

"Stay still." Reaching behind him, he picked up scissors from the table, made a small cut along the seam, and then braced himself for another try. This time, the seam gave way, rrrrrrrripping all the way along the side. Javier smirked as Booker's face appeared again, hair sticking out in weird ways, but at least free of the costume. "Hey. There you are."

>> "Yes, we can do better for the real thing."

Booker was supposed to be smarter than this. Hell, he was smarter than this. He had finished his Masters in Library and Information Science on the fast track, impressing the majority of his instructors. He could recall information he had only read once from years ago. He had even been able to pick up skills that others would struggle with for years. And yet, right now, he looked like little more than a slapstick side character who couldn’t get his damn act together. The only good thing about this situation was that at least Nessa wasn’t here. There was no way she would have ever let him live it down.

He was also certain she would have recorded this.

His sister was a monster.

Thankfully, Javier wasn’t a monster. As Booker had attempted to pull off the shirt, he found himself quickly getting entangled within the tight folds of it. It was a good thing that the librarian wasn’t claustrophobic or he would have easily started to freak out. Instead he just remained calm, struggled, listened as the tailor chuckled, and meekly gave up. He needed help. God, way to be impressive Booker -- forgetting how to take off a goddamn shirt. But at least the tailor wasn’t cruel; he would be his hero.

He heard Javier’s chuckling voice as the man approached. He then felt his hands graze his skin before finding seams to attempt to break. Whatever this stuff was must have been pretty durable because Booker could hear the slight strain when Javier attempted to break the seams and come to no avail. Booker sighed, chuckling himself at the stupidness of all of this and just shook his head inside of his shirt.

”Great,” he sighed. ”So this is how I die: embarrassed and trapped in a shirt.” A snort. ”My psychic was right.”

Another teasing laugh fell from his lips. But, all was good and fun until he started to feel a cramp roll through his arm. Javier was doing his best but soon gave up on trying to rip apart the seams and went for something to aid him in rescuing the librarian.

>>"Stay still.”

”Can’t...eh...really go anywhere like this,” he laughed. He waited patiently and then felt Javier return to his side. Something cold grazed his skin and man had to keep from jumping. There was the sound of snipping, ripping, and then a burst of daylight. Booker breathed in relief, blinking, and then grinned when he spotted Javier’s face directly in front of him.

>>"Hey. There you are."

”Hey yourself,” Booker said with a charming smile. He stood for a second, unmoving, just looking at Javier and feeling the shirt being ripped further open so that his arms could finally be freed. Once they were at his sides, he winced, rolling them a bit and just grinning shyly to the tailor. He cleared his throat before he went on. ”Um, thanks for the rescue. Quite heroic, actually.” he chuckled. ”I may have to start calling you the Brave Little Tailor from now on.”

Javier really felt bad about finding the sight of Booker stuck in a shirt so amusing. It was just... very Booker, having the physique of a male underwear model, and the attitude of a golden retriever pup.

>>”Great. So this is how I die: embarrassed and trapped in a shirt. My psychic was right.”

Javier chuckled as he worked on the shirt. It was going to be thrown out anyway, or recycled as scrap fabric, but there was something... intimate about ripping a shirt off a guy, whatever the context. He knew he was blushing, but at least Booker was a little flustered too, by the time he emerged from his cocoon. Javier stepped back to let him wiggle out of the shreds of the test shirt. Yeah. A little looser next time.

>>”Hey yourself... Um, thanks for the rescue. Quite heroic, actually. I may have to start calling you the Brave Little Tailor from now on.”

Okay, so now he was shirtless, and definitely too close for comfort. Javier was almost glad for the terrible joke, because he could roll his eyes and move away, putting some polite distance between the two of them. "Hey, I know New York is full of superheroes, but I feel like the bar is not quite that low" he chuckled. It was kind of ironic, being part of a joke about heroism for ripping a shirt, as someone who could lift vehicles on a good day. Even if he rarely had good days, ever.

"Well, your costume might be a one time item" he noted, jotting down some notes "It's not going to be this tight, but... well. You're gonna have to practice taking it off, if you don't want someone to rip it off every time..."

Yeah, okay this was a little weird now. Booker couldn’t help the smile on his lips when he looked at the other man who had freed him from his confining fabric prison. He stood there, smiling like a fool for what was probably, maybe a tad bit too long. He could have said something, or even blinked, but he just found himself, standing there, watching Javier as the man was far closer than he was before. A small rush coursed through the librarian but it was so quick that he couldn’t really spare the thought it deserved. Rather, in his usual manner, his mouth got in the way.

Really, what else was he supposed to say. He blinked away any stray thoughts, pulled the rest of the fabric from his body and allowed Javier to take it away. Booker had a sharp mind, able to recollect details from his childhood that no other would be able to remember; and yet now, all he could do was muster up one of the lamest jokes imaginable.

Brave little tailor? The **** is wrong with you, Booker? He sighed, momentarily convincing himself to not run his face into the nearby wall and Javier chuckled and delivered the sassiest of eyerolls; like, enough to rival his sister’s. But unlike when it was Nessa, Booker knew that he deserved this one and he readily accepted it.

>>"Hey, I know New York is full of superheroes, but I feel like the bar is not quite that low"

He smirked. ”I dunno man...this town…” he said vaguely as he reached down to his chair to pick up the fallen shirt he had been wearing before. He slipped it on over his frame and smoothed it out. ”It just has a way of calling in trouble.” He joked and shrugged his shoulders. ”People like the X-Men will probably need their costumes mended. I’m sure you can help with that.”

He offered the tailor the brightest of smiles. Though the odds of the X-Men coming to Javier’s for help seemed far-fetched, stranger things had happened. He had never thought he would have helped one in the librarian, or even dated one for several months! New York just seemed to be a hub of the unlikely to become likely. So maybe Javier would be able to get his wish and actually do work for them. Either way, Booker would be happy for the tailor.

His attention returned to Javier when the man took the fabric away. He followed him across the room, looking at the table where he spent his time making the one he had just ruined. Of course Booker felt bad about it but Javier seemed to think it was fine. It was just a test shirt anyways.

>>"Well, your costume might be a one time item...It's not going to be this tight, but... well. You're gonna have to practice taking it off, if you don't want someone to rip it off every time..."

Booker snorted. ”Haha, okay,” he laughed. ”I’ll have to save that for my steamy fantasies, eh?”

Booker didn’t know exactly when his soul left his body, but at some point he was looking down at himself with the sternest of expression. Really, what was wrong with him? He was sure that Nessa had a entire list that she would rattle off from the top of her thick head, but it wasn’t her completely biased opinion he was after, just the universe’s. Surely the universe had insight on some of the dumb things that Booker B. Bookman had managed to utter during his time of existence. A misfiring neuron in the brain, perhaps? A gypsy curse? Honestly, any of those would be acceptable to know, the fact simply was that he wanted to know.

Unfortunately no answer came and, thus, he was forced to clear up his own jumbled up mess of words.

”Once will be fine…” he quietly said. Clearing his throat, he continued. ”SO! Ugh, yeah, there’s definitely no rush in making it. I mean, heh, plenty of time until the convention so definitely no need to make it priority.”

There were enough superheroes, vigilantes, and other over-powered people in New York City to go around. If one threw a stone, one was bound to hit at least one of them (and probably piss several off). Javier felt like one more or one less was not really going to make any difference. Only make things exponentially crazier.

>>”I dunno man...this town… It just has a way of calling in trouble. People like the X-Men will probably need their costumes mended. I’m sure you can help with that.”

Javier winced a little, as Booker accidentally guessed what he had already been doing. For Maya, anyway, not as an official, on-the-payroll vigilante tailor or anything. But it was a job, and he enjoyed the challenge. Even if he could not really talk about it to Booker. "Maybe..." God, he was bad at lying. Or even keeping secrets.

The shirt was not exactly ruined - it had kind of been scrap to begin with. He made notes to make sure next time there would be less of a chance that Booker would get stuck. Ripping a test shirt was not the same as trying to rip off the actual costume piece.

>>”Haha, okay. I’ll have to save that for my steamy fantasies, eh?”

Javier blushed furiously at the comment. It was not really even aimed at him, specifically, but he could sense that Booker was suddenly feeling hesitant about it, and in turn he also felt like they had crossed some kind of a line. At least Booker was wearing his shirt now. Javier chuckled a little to ease the tension, and did not comment anything, for fear of making it worse.

>>”Once will be fine… SO! Ugh, yeah, there’s definitely no rush in making it. I mean, heh, plenty of time until the convention so definitely no need to make it priority.”

"Okay" Javier nodded slowly. He was not sure how they were going to progress from here... so he decided to focus on the work, which he did have experience with. "Um, I think the pants will need a little more work than this. So... how about you come back, maybe later this week? I'll have a better version of the shirt, and a decent try at the pants, and... we can go from there?" The pants would definitely need some more work. And some mental preparation. In case they needed to be ripped too.

Yeah, Booker should quit while he’s ahead. As much as he enjoyed conversing with Javier, it seemed that he was just hunger for shoving his foot as deep into his mouth as possible today. He thought he could taste ankle. He had only come in to get fitted for a cosplay costume, maybe chat a bit with a new possible friend. And yet it just seemed as if the universe were trying to prove just how deeply he could dig himself into the ground. But Booker was nothing if not resilient and, as embarrassed as he was, he could survive without falling apart.

Falling apart would come later in the privacy of his own room and a pillow named Sophie with which he could strike himself many times over.

Realizing what he had said and seeing the blush that appeared on Javier’s cheeks and Booker found himself wanting a quick exit. Really there was little reason for him the hang around any longer than he had to. The test material was done, Javier knew not to choke him to death, and doughnuts had been delivered. Though he didn’t have any other plans for the rest of the day, the tailor was working and there was the possibility he had other appointments to get to. Booker was not one delay others from doing their work.

So he offered Javier a cautious smile and let him no that it wasn’t a necessity. Wrath of Con was still a few months away and there was time to make the inner costume. Everything else Booker could handle on his own. The other seemed fine with that knowledge…

>>"Okay...Um, I think the pants will need a little more work than this. So... how about you come back, maybe later this week? I'll have a better version of the shirt, and a decent try at the pants, and... we can go from there?"

There! There was a plan! And Javier wasn’t completely banishing him from his shop so Booker must actually be okay with him! Yaay! Ahem. But seriously, it was good to know that he didn’t completely embarrass the guy with his inappropriate dialogue. Javier was, if anything, a true tailor and kept his word that he would still work on this project for the librarian. With a better fitting shirt and pants in his future, Booker was ecstatic.

”Sounds great!” Booker said with his ever-present grin. He was thankfully beginning to bounce back from his earlier verbal faux pas. ”I will check my work schedule when I get home and set up a day with you.” The librarian thought for a moment. ”I’ll bring something else delectable and bad for you next time! Pizza? Tapas? I'll figure it out!” Booker loved provide people with food. ”Deal?”