Damien's dreams were strange, full of weird faces and people talking to him with muffled voices. He whimpered and twitched, trying to get away but he was only a rabbit. A rabbit in the den of wolves. His heart nearly exploded out of his chest as he woke up, panting and glancing about his apartment. It seemed he had fallen asleep on the sofa, and there was someone there with him. He stared at the man who he recognised as the dancer. Eric was his name, he remembered the conversation they had earlier that morning. He looked at his lap and found both Dawn and Midnight cuddled on him, though they were now alert and glancing about for the cause of Damien's sudden movement.

He pushed the rabbits off and stood up, feeling slightly ill but not suffering from a hangover. That was something that people often marvelled over. Someone as short as Damien not getting a bad hangover after drinking the way he did... It was strange. He just guessed he was used to it. He went to the kitchen and turned on the jug, knowing that the other man might want a cup of coffee to wake himself up. He went to the fridge and cut up some vegetables to feed to his pets, just as Eric snorted awake. "Um... Good morning..." Damien smiled, his true smile not the type he put on for customers. "Thank you for helping me home. You didn't have to stay... But thanks. It was nice of you. How do you like your coffee?"

He fell asleep in a rather uncomfortable position, with his head tilted to the side and one shoulder a little higher than the other. But he fell asleep rather easily, and regretted at some point. He was back in that trunk. Back with his arm cuffed to to the pipe above his head. He'd fallen asleep a few times in that standing position and fallen, dislocating his arm twice. The third time someone came into the dark, musty room, he jolted from his dreams and looked around quickly. He wasn't home. Wasn't on his own couch. Where...? Then a familiar voice. He looked around and squashed the panic. "Oh, hi... C'mon, it was the least I could do. Sounded like you needed someone to listen to you for once." Eric smiled, running his hand over his face and wriggling his nose, looking at Damien. He seemed different than he had yesterday. More real.

"Uhh... I go for black, if you're making any." He stood, stretched, rolled his shoulders and stepped around the coffee table to lean on the counter at the kitchen and roll the cuff over his wrist absently. "Feel okay? Kinda stiff myself..." He rubbed his right shoulder. "Might lounge around upstairs today..." He got paid well as long as he did his job and kept people entertained and happy. And he was good at both of those things.

"You really love that place, don't you?" he chuckled, making a black coffee for his guest and a white one for himself. He looked at the mugs and then down at his rabbits, who were busy nibbling on the vegetables he had chopped and give to them. "I feel a little... Ill, but that's it. Alcohol washes through me quite easily for a small guy." He winced slightly, remembering his conversation. Had he come off as an arsehole? As someone that was bigoted? He was often called a homophobe, even though he was gay himself.

"It's my day off, well night off. I might just relax and spend the day in bed..." After he delivered the money to Steven that was. He gave Eric the black coffee and glanced at his pile of money. He had made quite a lot from the private party last night. "Shit, I didn't think I got this much. I know the guy was giving me hundred dollar notes..." He would have some money left over. What would he do? He grinned and looked at Eric. "Hey! How about we go on a shopping spree? I haven't... Well, I've never been able to spend my money on things for myself."

Eric nodded a little. "Yeah, I kind of do. I... kind of crave attention. And being touched. Doing what I do up there solves that problem for me. I mean, it doesn't... make for long-lasting relationships, but... you got to sacrifice some things, don't you?" He shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant about it. That was why he and Kyle had broken up. Eric liked his job too much and Kyle wasn't much of an overly touchy-feely type. But they'd never wanted to break off their friendship, so they had ended it on on kind terms.

Grinning, Eric put the cup in front of his face to hide the smile. If he told Damien where the rest came from he'd probably try to give it back, and Eric wasn't having any of that. He paused to take a drink of the bitter black coffee, breathing in and shaking himself awake. "That sounds pretty fun, actually." He laughed. "Maybe I can take a day off for once too, join you. Might be a good idea for the crick in my neck." He rolled his head, feeling his neck pop and crack, and grimaced. "Eew, that feels weird... Anyway... Got anywhere you wanna go? I don't live too far off, so if you don't have a ride we can grab my car." He looked down at his clothes. "Guess I could use some new stuff too..." He'd not bought new clothes in several months, and was getting bored. He wanted something different, and a day off with this bunny was definitely called for.

Damien grinned and nodded, looking down at his own clothes. He needed a shower, his body felt sweaty and uncomfortable. He mustn't have had one last night. The thought about all those men made him shudder and feel even more dirty. "Just give me a second, I'll have a quick shower and then we can go to yours. Um... We'll go to Foxtown Mall, plenty of shops there. But first I sort of need to meet a guy..." And give him the last of the loan. Damien couldn't believe it had finally happened. He couldn't stop smiling as he rushed into his bedroom and grabbed some clothes.

After a refreshing shower, he dried his long brown hair and tied it back, slipping into more comfortable clothes. He wore a red hoodie and baggy jeans, looking nothing like the bunny he was known for at the club. He noticed the reaction Eric gave and he smiled. "I like to be comfortable."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, sure." When Damiel vanished out of sight he took the chance to look around the place from where he stood, studying it. The apartment looked well lived in. Like home. His was too, but it had slightly sharper edges, was a bit more polished here and there. It was another reason he needed to get a cat. It was too clean. And too lonely, even when he brought someone home for the night. But perhaps that was the problem---it was just for one night, and he was usually alone the next morning. Sighing, he rinsed his empty coffee cup out at the sink and set it aside as Damien reentered, catching him a little off guard in such parachute-like clothes.

He laughed. "Yeah, I can tell... I guess I pretty much wear what I do upstairs, if just a little more conservative." But not by much. Almost elastic-made jeans clung to him, as well as his thin shirt. Sleeping in his usual, everyday clothes was rare, since he usually slept completely naked as it were. But maybe doing that here wouldn't have been a great idea. "Whatever you're feeling good in, though. C'mon, let's get my car and you can meet your guy before heading out." Eric felt in his pockets, glad to see his keychain was there. At least he wouldn't have to head upstairs. He'd send Kyle a text later telling him to let their boss know he wouldn't be in for the day.

Damien grabbed the pile of notes and tucked them away neatly in his wallet. He couldn't stop smiling as they left the building by an elevator, feeling ecstatic that he was finally going to be debt free. He followed Eric back to his place, not talking much and trying to avoid the stares they were getting from pedestrians. Eric was still wearing somewhat slutty clothes and it made Damien feel uncomfortable. He could almost hear the whispers, guess what they were saying and laughing about.

"I'll wait out here... My guy lives just a few doors away actually, so I'll just go to him and come back to yours, OK?" He left Eric at his place and walked around the corner, sighing in relief. He just was afraid to enter Eric's place. What if someone saw them? He fast walked down the alley and into another street, turning left and going to an out of place shack. He walked up the weed choked footpath, banging on the door. It was answered by a man by the name of Luke, one of the loan shark's associates.

"Luke, I got my payment here. $2000, in cash." He pulled out his wallet and handed the money over, glancing about to make sure no one was watching. "You better hand it on to your boss.'' The man nodded and counted the money before saying goodbye to Damien.

Resisting the urge to shout happily at the top of his lungs, he rushed back to Eric's place.

Eric glanced sideways now and then. Damien was rather quiet, so he didn't press for conversation. Maybe he still felt a bit ill, but when they parted ways, Eric picked up his pace, nearly running to the elevator in the atrium of his building and going to his apartment. A full wall of windows to the right, tinted just slightly to make it easier on the eyes in the middle of the day. The floors were black granite tile laden with thick, fluffy rugs, black and white trimmed chairs and a sofa were gathered around a not overly large television and entertainment system he didn't use but every now and then. A glass dining room table sat nearby, leading into the kitchen, and he passed it all to go halfway down the hall, going into the bathroom and studying himself. He looked fine, no stubble to take care of, no crazy hair. He'd showered last night of course, and he was sure sleeping in such an awkward position would have sent his hair in a strange, upended manner. Running his hand through the stuff, he left and went to the bedroom he called his own, fishing around the closet.

Damien seemed a bit awkward with him. Considering the content of his admissions last night, Eric was sure it was because of his manner of dress. He found one of his old, thin zip-up jackets and threw it on, rolling up the sleeves past his elbows before going back through, hurrying downstairs after making sure his door was locked.

Outside he met Damien and smiled. "Good to go?" He asked. "My car's the dark blue one over there." He pointed down the private driveway, where among red and white and plain gray, a dark blue four-door sat.

"You're wearing that?" Damien stared for a moment, wondering how anyone would be comfortable in such tight clothing. But he sighed and nodded to the question, pulling out his wallet and smiling at the extra thousand he had to spend. He'd buy himself some new clothes, maybe some toys for Midnight and Dawn... He jumped into Eric's car with a huge smile on his face. "I haven't done this for years... I guess I am a gay man because I am excited to go shopping." He chuckled slightly and looked out the window. The mall was close by, and had a large variety of clothing stores and other things.

Eric shrugged, grinning sheepishly and nodding. "Yeah, I'm wearing this. Those clingy bodysuits in public tend to be a no-no." He snickered at the idea of wearing one of those so-very-revealing silk suits outside the club; no doubt he would get a mix of intrigued, disgusted, shocked, and appreciative glances, but then, people were so mixed it would be difficult to tell. He had a feeling if they were in Vegas it would be just another normal day, but they weren't. Once he pulled out of the driveway and onto the street, he smiled toward Damien.

"Don't get too lost in stereotypes. I may be gay but I hate shopping for the most part. As long as it feels like less than a chore, it's more fun." He turned down the next street that led directly to the nearby mall. Eric felt only slightly giddy at the thought of the pet store inside, where he could take a look at an animal and decide whether or not it'd be prudent to get one to keep him company at home. Though if he did decide, he'd adopt one. The soulful eyes of the cats in stacked cages at the city's shelters always made him feel guilty for leaving them. "So you don't do this often? Must be boring... I mean, you gotta get out and do things, y'know? Make life more fun, unpredictable..."

"I usually sleep all day and then spend what time I have watching TV and looking after my rabbits..." Damien wondered if his existence was boring, he had never thought it was. "But now I have paid off my loan, I can look for another job and place to live. It's hard, because a lot of home owners don't like the idea of rabbits being in the house, even though they are trained to live inside... I guess people just think they are pests."

They parked up inside the mall's indoor parking block, getting out of Eric's car and going towards the door that lead inside. The last time Damien had been in the mall, he had gone to the pet store to pick up some rabbit food and toys for Dawn and Midnight. That was awhile ago now. He was smiling as he looked around the floor they were on, eyeing clothes shops and video games stores. "Where should we go first?" he asked his company, not being able to decide for himself.

Eric couldn't imagine finding another job, but that was because he loved what he did. Maybe because he was too much of an attention whore, or perhaps just a whore in general. But he couldn't get much safer when it came to sating his nearly ever-present desires than the high-paying men of The Carousel, their monthly tests weeding out anyone that would pose a danger to anyone working at the club. But he didn't say anything about it, and followed Damien with hands buried in his pockets.

In the air-conditioned mall, he paused beside the young man and looked around, making a gentle noise that resembled a cat's purr without realizing it---the noise was one that appeared when he was contemplating something, and at this point was a completely unconscious action. "Hmm, how about The Caravan? You can't get any more broad than that---they've got everything from corduroy suit jackets to leather pants and collars." He smiled at the sign across the atrium that led into the largest clothing store in the mall.