Reckless Abandon (Drarry)

Chapter 12

...Two Months Later...

"I can't believe that was his first feature film." Harry commented as they exited the theatre. Leicester Square was busy with tourists and theatre goers, but his date easily led him through the crowds.

Brandon gave Harry a wide, enthused smile. "And he was only 26 when it came out!" He paused outside a pub. "Want to go in here for a drink? We can talk some more."

Harry glanced at the pub. "Bear and Staff? Is this one of those bear bars I've heard about?" He smiled to show Brandon he was joking.

Luckily the man chuckled and went into the pub, finding them a quiet corner to sit so they could hear each other speak. "You really are new gay culture, aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged. Educate me." Harry ordered a pint of pale ale when the server came by.

Brandon ordered a pint too, along with nachos. "The slang started back when being gay was persecuted, a coded way to talk in public. You know what bears are, right?"

"Chubby guys with beards and body hair." Harry replied, taking a sip of his ale. He was enjoying this date so far. Brandon was around his age, and easy to talk with. He wasn't that good looking, a little tall and gangly, but Harry liked that he seemed smart and comfortable with himself. His hair was medium brown and on the longer side.

Brandon nodded. "And younger guys like that are called cubs. How about twinks?"

"Young, hardly any hair, more feminine." Harry supplied, thinking back on one of his earlier dates. That guy had been fun and flirty, but not really Harry's type. "So, what am I? Someone referred to me as a wolf once, but I wasn't sure if that was meant as a compliment."

Giving Harry an assessing glance with his dark eyes, Brandon shook his head. "Wolves have a medium build and some body hair, but are pretty sexually aggressive. Maybe you got called that because you are publicly dating so much."

The nachos arrived, and Brandon thanked the server reverently before digging in. "Have some, there's lots."

Harry picked up a tortilla chip with a good amount of melted cheddar on it, and scooped up some salsa before taking a bite. The salsa had a little kick, but wasn't too spicy. "So, not a wolf then." He had been dating lots, but hadn't had much sex.

"I'd say you were an otter. Body like a wolf but not such a player." The tall man had already eaten three chips as Harry finished his first. Obviously his thin frame came from a high metabolism.

"What else is there?" Harry asked, enjoying learning more about this. Gay culture was so much different than straight culture.

"Gym rats, pigs, chicken hawks... frankly it's hard to keep up with all the slang. I just go to the Urban Dictionary website to figure things out." Brandon wiped his fingers on a paper napkin before taking a big sip of his drink.

Harry nodded. "What are you?"

"I'm a giraffe." Brandon straightened up in his chair, blinking down at Harry serenely, before chuckling and relaxing back into his previous posture.

Harry shook his head. "You are the first guy I've dated who knows more about muggles than I do."

"Well, those gay labels are used by wizards too. But muggles use them a lot on hook-up apps." Brandon pulled out his smart phone and showed Harry how a popular one worked.

Harry took the last chip that had cheese on it, and dipped it in the guacamole. "How do you know all this? Do you live or work in a muggle area?"

Brandon shook his head. "No, but I was raised by muggles like you were. My parents are totally OK with me being a wizard, and I often spend time at their place. I keep up with that world to be able to relate with them and my old muggle friends."