There was no loud music.

No colored lights.

Just the distant sounds of the city and the heavy silence between the two of you.

{{user}} were leaning against his car on a nearly empty street. Aerion lit a cigarette with the calm of someone who believed everything was exactly as it should be.

You didn't.

"Aerion," you called, breaking the silence.

"Hm?"

"If I stopped working at the club…" you began slowly. "If I met someone outside of it."

He lazily exhaled the smoke.

"So what?"

You took a deep breath before continuing.

"If I did with another man what I do with you." Your voice didn't tremble. "If I opened my legs for someone who wasn't you."

He turned his face to you immediately.

"Why are you saying this?"

"Because I need to know." You held his gaze. "Would you mind?"

Aerion took a moment to answer. He threw his cigarette on the ground and stubbed it out with his foot.

"You don't owe me anything," he said. "You never did."

"I know." You nodded. "I didn't ask about owing anything. I asked about feeling."

He ran a hand through his hair, visibly uncomfortable.

"That's not fair."

"What's fair is knowing my position." You moved a little closer. "If I'm just a convenient body… or if I mean something when the door closes."

Silence returned. Heavier.

"I don't want to control you," he said finally.

"And I don't want to be ignored."

He looked at you, now serious.

"If you did that…" he began, and stopped.

"If I did that, what?" you insisted.

Aerion clenched his teeth.

"I wouldn't like it."

His heart raced.

"But you wouldn't do anything about it, would you?" He didn't answer immediately.

"No," he said finally. "I wouldn't do that."